A walk in the woods is clearly different three days after an ice storm. It’s messier. And somehow, even a bit eery. For some reason, though, on this Easter Sunday, it’s less so. We have electric power back on in our town! And with that comes a different vibration, as well as a clarity that one doesn’t get when surrounded by the sound of generators.

As a regular walker in these lovely woods for many years, I have developed a kind of ownership for them. Ownership in the sense of responsibility. I like to clear the path for the next day, and for the next walkers. Today, that involved lots of bending and lugging and tossing to get branches out of the way. It was fun and rewarding, and I enjoyed the challenge.

One of my exciting finds was this collection of pellets – the photo below shows only a portion of them. Unfortunately, I forgot to look up. The quantity of pellets indicated that there was surely an owl’s roosting spot directly above. Next time I’ll check it out.

I was very happy to see that one of my favourite friends endured the storm intact – he has almost no branches to accumulate ice.

Back home, I continued clearing, trying to purge my path of some unnecessary clutter. It feels rewarding here too, though it is an ongoing task. Occasionally, I give a wide berth to things I don’t want to deal with. As in the woods, there will always be more tomorrow because just like owls, I seem to produce more every day.

Also, as in the woods, at times I discover treasures – perhaps I should look up for their source.

And, as in the woods, there are some things that I can’t do alone, so I need another’s help.