Barefoot in the Snow

I've been in Colorado recently. I am so enjoying the snow and the nice, cool weather. There's just enough snow to keep a little bit of groundcover and to make everything beautiful - white snow, blue skies, green trees.

Ever since I got sick, I run waay too hot. I'm ALWAYS too hot, so I'll be wearing a summer sundress in 20 degree weather, when everyone else is wearing jackets and boots.

So when it gets to be a balmy 40-50 degrees (remember, it's extremely dry here, so it's not a damp cold at all), I like to step outside barefoot and walk in the snow to cool off.

I've mostly just been resting here in Colorado, but even from the house I enjoy the wildlife immensely. There has been a group of 4 bucks who hang out together, who come by here daily and often sleep here, too, on Cait's land. I occasionally buy a small bag of Timothy hay to put out for them, and they seem to appreciate it. Two of the bucks are gorgeous 8 pointers, although one of them is growing a new set of points. One is almost black, he's such a dark gray, and the other is brown. Both have beautiful, thick coats, big soulful eyes, beautiful long eyelashes, delicate legs...they are just enchanting. The two smaller ones are 4 point bucks. The big, dominant guys get to eat the hay first, then they MAY let the others graze.

They've gotten used to seeing me and are not too afraid anymore.

But a funny thing happened yesterday. I went out the back door because I was too hot, and lay down in the snow to make a snow angel, in order to cool off. I puttered around for awhile, then heard what sounded like a trumpet and exhalation of breath all at once. The biggest buck had been standing right near me, in the aspens, all that time, and had been so absorbed in whatever he was doing that he hadn't noticed me, nor I him. When he suddenly realized I was right there, outside the house, he completely lost his composure, whirled on one foot, bellowed a trumpeting sound, and raced up the hill. Then he stopped and looked back at me a bit sheepishly, as if he were embarrassed for losing it so thoroughly. I bet his buddies are teasing him about trumpeting when he saw me! haha.

Then he picked his way back, acting casual, nibbling here and there at sprouts, as if to say (in the way cats do), "I meant to do that". Pretty cute.

Apparently he wasn't all that terrified because he and his gang later decided to spend the day lying around chewing their cud near the house.


The other thing I love about snow is the way it keeps a record of all the wildlife that has passed by. I'm enjoying studying the tracks of all the different characters that pass our way without our ever even knowing it. It's so quiet here that I can hear the footsteps of the deer when they come, and hear their breath and chewing sounds, while I'm lying in bed inside the house. If someone walks on the road below, I can hear their footsteps. If a car comes by, everyone hears it and wants to know who it is and what are they doing here?

This is how people were meant to live. We lived like this for millenia before we became so used to the noise of a modern city. I crave the relative silence of the wilderness!

I hope you all had a great holiday season!

-Stacey