Forestation

On mornings like today's, when the night rain has dampened all, with spider webs sparkling like tinsel and the plop of raindrops on fallen leaves, a flicker of magic comes alive inside of me. It’s a bit of my childhood that I’ve held onto, a mischief and a sparkle that I’ve continued to cultivate all these years. Let me attempt to explain:

I love the forest world. Acorns, nests, mushrooms and moss amidst fallen logs and ferns. Foxes, hedgehogs, raccoons and owls, enclosed in a damp world of perpetual dusk. Insects traveling under layers of leaves and pine needles, furry tails disappearing down holes, shadows and sounds filled with mystery and delight.

I grew up in a home where the possibility existed for an elaborate animal world that we humans were not a part of. Could it be that animals spoke to one another, had hopes and dreams, walked up on two legs and even donned a vest or hat from time to time? I was often under the impression that I might have "just missed" seeing something spectacular in the forest of the animal world. My imagination was further stoked by some pretty draconian No Television rules and a wild backyard, where tall evergreens and tiny ferns grew, large enough where I could sequester myself far away, pretending and creating within the natural world.

I spent a great amount of time outdoors -- gardening, camping, beach combing, hiking and building bonfires. I read until I memorized the Beatrix Potter books, Old Mother West Wind, Frog and Toad, Little Bear and the strange world of Finn Family Moomintroll. I played with Woodsies and the board game Forest Friends. I believed in tomtes that guard farmhouses at night and Reynard the fox eating porridge. Before dinner we were told to "Fold our paws" for grace, something I continue to say to this day. Even our pets had an extensive array of thoughts and feelings, and these members of the family often weighed in with their opinions, for example, when I had been naughty. Imagine my guilt knowing not only my mother’s disappointment, but now a green-eyed kitty shook her head and wagged her finger paw in my direction.The line between fantasy and reality was blurred enough that, mix in an overactive imagination, and the glimmer of mischief has yet to fade, even today.

I don't think I could have married a man that sees animals as either dinner or a mild annoyance. Somehow, I found someone who had the beauty and mystery of animals and nature nurtured in him as well. More than once I've been called to the window to watch birds flying south or see a squirrel burying nuts in our garden. I'm not the only one that leaves bits of string outside in the hopes that a bird will use it in building a nest. Someone who, like me, notices and briefly mourns every dead squirrel or raccoon along the side of the road. A guy who willingly helps me collect acorns and pinecones at the park, no questions asked.

The misty, moisty morning has metamorphosized into a warm and sunny day, that, although beautiful, isn't quite the same for conjuring up the possibilities of the forest. So, I put the enchantment in my back pocket for another day, but keep my eyes bright and on the lookout...just in case!