Christmas Day with Maddie Mae

Christmas Day with Maddie Mae

December 25, 2016

It was certainly not a White Christmas.

We had mild weather for an extended period of time, and a lot of water. The main Creek and all auxiliary and temporary creeks were flowing.

Our daughter and son-in-law were here for Christmas with their Beagle, Maddie Mae. While everyone else was still asleep, I took Maddie on a Christmas morning walk in the woods, her first ever woods walk here. First, we would head down to Cottonwood Pond.

Heading down the slope, old leaves crunching beneath human and canine feet, we could see that the pond was full. Even from this distance, I could see the dim December sunlight glowing through the Cove at the base of the Root Ball, water moving between the main pond and “little pond.” With time and erosion, the Cove was becoming more clear.

We approached the Creek. I didn't know if Maddie had crossed a creek before, since she had been passed between various homes and shelters for eight years before settling in her permanent home. But, she approached the Creek with her usual Beagle can-do attitude.

Looking upstream beyond the Barkless Log

 Maddie on the other side of the Creek

We were at the pond with a clear view through the Cove. The water was murky with decaying leaves. There were some green plants growing on Mud Pile #1, evidence of the mild winter.

There had been plenty of water coming through the clear Inlet under the Barkless Log.

On the other end, leaves in the Isthmus were wet where water had been moving from the overflow of “little pond” to the main pond, then out the corner of the pond down the Seep …

...and via the Seep over the Bark Ledge and into the Creek.

"little pond", with Silas perched on the Cottonwood Trunk

Maddie and I went around to “little pond”, which was quite swollen.

We ducked under the fallen Cotttonwood Trunk to see where water had been seeping under both the Barkless Log and the Trunk into “little pond” from the east.

This had come from Temporary Creek #1 and the Swampy Spot.

One of the Elderberry stalks had already sprouted leaves, another sign of the mild winter.

We went further around to where more water (also originating from Temporary Creek #1) was flowing steadily through the Inlet into the main pond.

Maddie and I had come full circle around Cottonwood Pond. 

We then went to explore Temporary Creek #2 on the northwest side, which sends water toward “little pond.”

It also hooks up with a little auxiliary creek that flows into the main Creek.

Maddie and I continued our walk in the woods going over more creeks, over and under logs, up and down hills, past mushrooms, moss and lichen.

Maddie enjoyed her first jaunt in the woods and visiting Cottonwood Pond. It was time to go back uphill and join everyone else for the rest of Christmas morning.