A few days later...

Then Thanksgiving came. It was the first Thanksgiving I spent alone. For most of the day I wasn't sure how I felt about that. I woke up and thought about what to do with the day. I drove the pond. A friend of mine calls it the center of the universe, and it's true it really does feeling as though it is the center when I'm there. I stood at the edge of the land locked pond and breathed in the air. It was cold and gray, a bit damp. I walked along the paths that surround the pond. I stopped at Thoreau's Cove and looked at the reflections, at that moment the sun made a brief appearance. That appears to me as Henry. Whenever I visit the pond on days that are gray and dreary seems there is always a ray of light at some point. When that happens I always say: "Hello, Henry." 

That happened just as a group of people came across the bridge. We all greeted each other. One man stopped and chatted with me. He told me he was an artist and often painted the pond. He asked me to have a look at his work sometime that is displayed at the pond gallery. He also invited me to have Thanksgiving dinner with them. I thanked him, and thought how gracious that was. Now that is what Thanksgiving is to me. Extending yourself to others. I declined, feeling I was beginning to enjoy the solitude. 

I walked up around the ruins of Thoreau's cabin. Stood among the ruins and looked for the rock I left there in January in memory of our cat Oliver. I walked up to the Bean Field path. I stood at the crossroad of two paths trying to decide which way to go. I turned onto the Bean Field path and this massive creature swooped down in front of me, so quick and silent I didn't know what it was when it swopped in front of me. It reminded me of being in Minnesota on the Mississippi experiencing the eagles flying overhead. 

I located the creature who awakened my senses to the natural world sitting high in a tree on a branch making quiet hooting noises at me. Other than the sound of small mammals scurrying in the woods it was just the two of us chatting about how beautiful he was. I'm sure the animals scurrying about were grateful I was keeping him occupied as the ran for cover.