Forest of Fire
.... After climbing the half-mile trail to the cliff, I sat down on a weathered and beaten stump and gazed out over the vast farmland and rolling hills that were blanketed heavily with fog. I sat there and watched the sun start to peek over the horizon and its rays spread out like fingers reaching for the distant hills and treetops. As the sun continued to rise, the fog began to lift, giving way to an endless ocean of gleaming reds, yellows, browns, pale greens and oranges. After the sun was completely above the horizon, the dew on the leaves and grassy fields seemed to sparkle almost as if they were sprinkled with small diamonds. Then as if someone switched on the radio, the air was instantly filled with the classic music of birds and insects. In the faint distance, I could hear turkeys making their morning wake up call to the neighborhood. As I continued to sit and enjoy the business and simplicity of nature I noticed two fawns playing in a grassy field. Their movements were graceful like a figure skater, yet playful like two children during their first day of summer vacation. A sudden crash from behind me grabbed my attention and as I turned, I saw two gray squirrels playing tag. One chased the other up, around and back down a tree, then moving across the ground to another only to repeat this numerous times until I could only faintly hear them continuing their game throughout the wooded area. Towards dusk I made my way back up ...