Tracks in the Snow
Crunching over the sugar-crust of snow I view dozens of tracks.
Earlier, I watched Brewer's Blackbirds kicking up a parking lot ruckus. Then, while driving I had the pleasure of watching a fleet of sleek Crows. Later, I noted a pair of Ravens on the hunt, swooping over an icy berm.
Today's tracks in the snow form a scattering of temporary fossils – shifting under a cool breeze, melting suddenly, then re-freezing. Many of the tracks are small indentations left by lighter birds. Some are formed by a cat on the prowl, accompanied by the sweep of a tail. Others are a chain-of-pearls: paw prints left by an early morning fox.
Such tracks lure the eye and tell a tale, reminding me of the ephemeral markings I scout out while on the trail of a story.
