Me and the Wildlife

The Dance of the Snowflakes

The snowflakes dance to the music of the wind. They have clustered together on their long tumble to the ground. The wind plays with them, interrupting their gentle journey downward. The wind is determined to have some fun with them, pushing them in every direction except down. When they land the warmth of the earth will melt each flake into a tiny drop of water. The wind is doing its best to keep the dance going, in open areas with a frenzied shove, in sheltered areas with a gentle push. The snowflakes swirl like miniature white butterflies, impossible to predict the direction each will go. I know they will eventually end their dance when they land and the sky no longer sends more snowflakes, but I enjoy the spectacle while it lasts.
A magpie sits perched on the spire of a spruce tree, using its long tail to maintain balance against the force of the wind. It was spring, wasn't it? It tries to focus on individual snowflakes, but there are so many. It is nearing its first year, and has lived through the winter. It has seen snow before, but it was never like this. After a few minutes it flies over to a nearby spruce tree where it has spent the past few months building a nest with its mate. Near the heart of the tree, high above the ground, it can sit in a safe and private space, spared from the main force of the wind by the thick spruce branches.