Tales Nature Tells

 Tales Nature Tells

The cobble beach tells his story of an ancient shore.

Once a rocky headland, fragmented by the grind of a glacier,

Washed smooth over millennia by the inexorable force of waves-on-stone,

And one day to be ground to sand.

Cobble beach says, “You can stroll along my beach, and make one of me skip on the water.” 

The river tells her tale of currents fast and slow.

At first, snow melt in the watershed pours off the highlands into the coursing stream,

Cascades down roaring rapids, joins with tributaries which fill to the top of the banks.

Downstream the land flattens and the river slows, meanders, forms ox bows,

Eventually meeting the sea.

River says, “Paddle your canoe on my waters. I will carry you to far-off lands.”

The tree tells his story of earth and sky.

A tale rooted in deep black earth,

Of a river of sap flowing up from roots, to trunk, to branch, to crown,

Of branches reaching for the sun,

Of a blaze of autumn glory, his fallen leaves flying like birds in the wind,

Of dreams of winter.

Tree says, “Enjoy my buds, the sign of spring, my fruits, my autumn color, my winter repose.”

The eagle tells his story of vast vistas and minute focus.

What he sees as he breaks from fishing and rises the thermals, 

What he sees as he descends to scope the river,

What his telescopic eye perceives beneath the surface,

How he dives, talons first, to make the catch.

Eagle says, “What I see, you can only dream of. But, fisherman, if I’m here, so are the fish. Good luck.”

The clouds tell their stories of what weather they will bring.

High-flying , wispy mares tails - cirrus clouds - foretell rain in 24 hours.

Totally overcast, lowering sky with ragged lumps of grey means rain or snow within 20 minutes.

Clouds heaped-up high with anvil tops are cumulonimbus. Thunderstorm coming.

Cumulus clouds, like balls of cotton, mean fair weather.

Red sky at night, sailors’ delight. Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.

Each cloud has a different message, but they all say, “Learn us and you will know the weather.”