Nature Notes, a Blog by Bryan Ribelin

The wind is gently sweeping across the hillside. It swirls around sturdy trunks of trees in a murmur. Its current is slow and soft as it flows through carpets of mossy limbs. Leaves lightly brush together. Shrouded in a cloak of quietness, the Great Horned Owl listens to the song of the forest.

The last rays of sunlight are slanting through the evening sky. Dragonflies are darting back and forth over the meadow. Leaves whirl and spin as they fall from the trees. The shadows are deepening as the night awakens. Shrouded in a cloak of stillness, the Great Horned Owl watches the day come to a close.

The rain has awoken the moss from its summer slumber forming cool, spongy beds. The shady woods are damp. The air feels refreshing to breathe. Afternoon sun breaks are a pleasant warmth on the body. Shrouded in a cloak of awareness, the Great Horned Owl absorbs the sensations of the changing seasons.

The hours of daylight are waning as we revolve into the starlight, beckoning a time of reflection. May we hold the essence of the Great Horned Owl within our spirit as winter approaches—watching, listening, and feeling nature to its fullest.

See more of Bryan’s work here.