The Woods and What May Be Out There

View from my back door taken at 5 p.m.

Snow before Christmas is almost a given here in the Ottawa Valley.  The former corn and barley fields have become wide expanses of pristine whiteness and surrounding them in stark contrast, are the black and many-branched trees.  The trunks of trees, branches, tiny twigs, bristly bushes are all exposed and looking mildly skeletal at this time of year.  What would have been hidden or softened by those lovely green leaves not so long ago can now be examined.  The most beautiful black and white photos are there for the taking at every turn. 
Late afternoon and all the woods around us take on a different look, forbidding and a bit creepy.  It is foolishness of course, to think that but... Sometimes I am awakened at night by the sounds of howls, coyotes or wolves, not sure which, perhaps fox.  It makes me realize that creatures do live close by just outside the snugness of our house.  I forget this.  My daytime walks around the property reveal to me only small, scuttling creatures, chipmunks, squirrels, the odd skunk; never anything larger and whatever they are they are always running away from me.  Usually only interesting enough to tweak the dog's interest, nothing more.  Whatever else may be there remains well hidden, to my eyes at least.