Two islands.
It occurred to me today that I’ve not been precise with my language here. For instance, I write “chilly” when I mean “cold.” I thought of this upon realizing that today seemed a truly chilly day, but not an overly cold one. A light rain fell this morning, for one thing, and wind stirred the naked limbs of the hardwoods up the hill out back. The temperature had lifted well into the 30s (F)—likely nearly 40—but the air felt exceptionally uncomfortable. Not like in deeper winter, with temperatures of maybe 20, when the air might feel cold but also invigorating. Today’s air, no doubt from the water vapor being swirled around by the breeze, chilled me. “Chilly” is the perfect word for this day.
Leaf.
Jack accompanied me on Saturday errands this morning—bottle redemption, dump, post offices—and then an early (comparatively) hike up Beech Hill. We arrived at midday. We were alone up there. Light rain spattered down. Hard going on the trail, which resembled a hard slush and let my heels slip with nearly every other step. (In fact, this hike ranked second in exertion to the one last winter when I was breaking in new snowshoes in a big storm coming up the lower wooded trail.) As we emerged into the open hillside, we found ourselves facing into a strong southerly wind—so strong, in fact, that I worried it would blow my hat off. Not a cold wind, but a chilly one.
Somewhere in the chilly wind, suddenly, I heard the voice of a crow. My first glimpse of the bay showed a dark, lowering sky and a thick mist covering the islands. Quite a bit of grassy patches emerging here and there on the fields, and I noticed the snow had vanished from the sod roof of Beech Nut.
Jack's old paw prints.
We turned and headed back down, grateful to have the wind at our backs. Soon I caught sight of two good-sized, light-colored birds in flight against the dark trees in the distance. A pair of herring gulls. I don’t often see gulls so near the hill in winter. Then, turning the corner by the road, I heard the calls of a chickadee. Three birds on the hill today.
As I drove us home along South Street, a flicker shot up from some roadside hideout and bounced away, its white rump patch flashing.
Tonight, the fog horns sound. The wind has died, but the air remains warm. And chilly.
Beech Hill List
Beginning at 12 p.m., I hiked the open trail.
1. American crow (voice)
2. Herring gull
3. Black-capped chickadee (voice)
Elsewhere
4. Rock pigeon
5. Northern flicker
Herring gull.
Tags: American crow, black-capped chickadee, herring gull, northern flicker, rock pigeon
