Member-only story
Who Passes By Each Night?
My imagination goes wild
When I wake up in the morning and pull back the curtains, my eyes are always drawn to the woods. I can see so far through the trees, with no leaves or shrubs in my way. I can see the clean icy snow cover, and the dark trunks of trees. I can see the old stone wall that stands at the back of our land, and over it to the marsh beyond.
Some years I see the wildlife that roams behind our house. Some years there are herds of deer who roam along the stone wall or nestle down at sunset under the branches of hemlocks. I have seen golden foxes trotting through the trees. Last year there was a family of coyotes that roamed in and out of our woods, across our yard, and across the street.
I have seen owls and pileated woodpeckers and one or two fishers. It is magical.
But this year has been strangely mysterious. I have seen only one deer on the camera I have mounted behind the house. I have seen no bears, no foxes or bobcats or fishers or coyotes. The woods have been empty and silent.
So I am intrigued.
The other morning I woke up and pulled back the curtains. I stretched, and yawned, and stopped still.
This is what I saw:
