Woodland Deer

Waking to midwest fragility

The Midwest is not the kind of place that reaches out and pokes at my romantic heartstrings, as say the Rocky Mountains, or the ocean. The Midwest can be quiet, even gentle and unassuming, with only fleeting moments of drama. But its dominant moodiness makes the time when vibrant colors appear, not truly recognized by me, yet more exquisite.

Of the several times I’ve driven across the prairie I found it to be a monotonous event. True, I was speeding along its highways at 80 mph. I’m learning, having seen these Midwest moods while not in a rush, to appreciate the many sides of its personality. It is important to look at and experience subtle shifts in its temperament. Dull overcast days are the best conditions to see the landscape close-up, yet there are few occasions when a traveler is likely to give this land its due. When the tones are even, devoid of bright highlights, or distracting shadows, even a man hindered with color-blindness can better appreciate the nuances of color.

Today I woke to a mild snowy day. Deer were foraging on the spikes of green poking through the white blanket. With my iPhone, I wanted to catch them all with their heads down to show the slenderness of their necks, but they would not cooperate. Always one would catch me watching me while the others fed.

It’s January in the Midwest and we’ve been hit by a fast-passing snowstorm. Wet snow rarely lasts more than a day before melting or blowing off but in the meantime, it makes the fine pencil sketches of trees feel fragile, and from the world of my view I can almost hear the sound of silence