| By Professor Jack Wills What could you expect to see, or see sign of, on a typical visit to the Kiva Connection's Moon Ivy Hill? Were I to simply list my sightings, you would probably find it tedious. So, let me share with you a walk I took one recent December day. I left from the barnyard about 9am, after the morning feedings and barn chores, and walked down Moon Ivy Trail with Spirit (our dog friend). Geese passed overhead. Medicine Wheel Pond was not completely frozen, so the beaver were still active. Many fresh cuttings of poplar showed me their food preference, and there was a clear slide (the flattened mark made by beavers wherever they regularly travel). It led from The Little Magic Forest (Kiva's home to fairies and gnomes) to the pond, as they went back and forth, putting in their winter food supply of bark. Three deer bolted as I approached Ms. Kiva's Cabin - a log cabin used for retreat, Talking Circle meetings, and study. I stopped there for a while, just to listen. After a bit, I could hear the "yank, yank, yank" of a nuthatch, the scolding of a jay, and the welcoming chatter of a flock of chickadees. Deer mouse, squirrel and rabbit tracks were everywhere. As I meandered from the cabin into deeper woods, I found the fertile fronds of sensitive fern in a wet area (frond is just another word for leaf, basically). Then, I noticed the dried fronds of wood fern and the evergreen fronds of some Christmas fern. A patch of red from the fruiting bodies of British Soldiers brightened up a fallen, moss-covered log. The contrasting red and green, along with the Christmas fern, somehow seemed appropriate to the season. What a beautiful morning... A nice, leisurely stroll, a visit with some very special friends, and the signs of the season.
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