Autumn Palette

driveway leaves

 

Autumn is showing herself- leaves are turning various colors and quickly falling to the ground, wind is strong, temperatures are cooling, rain comes often, and the snow geese are back. The yellow, brown, and green of the bigleaf maple leaves brightens even the darkest day. Bigleaf maples are everywhere on the island. In some areas it's like driving through a tunnel of yellow-brown amongst the large trees. Reds and maroons, orange, yellow, and green of the vine maple leaves appear here and there, breaking up the monotony of yellow. The alders never really seem to get into the changing color thing, staying green, turning brown, maybe, and flying away on the wind. The green viburnum leaves are slowly taken over by a light crimson until only the leaf center is a light green. Contrasted by the yellow-blotched green leaves of the mock orange they contribute to the brightening of the yard. Due to the extreme dryness up until a couple of weekends ago, several of the red-flowering currants leaves simply shriveled up and died on the branch. Usually they turn a medium shade of deep red. Ocean spray and osoberry add varying shades of yellow to the palette of Autumn. The few golden cottonwood leaves provide a backdrop for the rest of the palette. As summer wanes I tend to dread the changing season, yet when Autumn arrives I thrive in its beauty and the scent of fresh brown leaves. Like the myriad greens of spring that bring the Earth alive, the colors of Autumn bring the Earth to quiet times, waiting below the surface for the next season to bring change. 

 

"Green leaves

that dawn after dawn

grow yellow,

red cheeks

that fade

with the passing days-

if our world

is made up

of such changes

as these,

is it strange

that my heart

is so sad?"

 

Hsiao Kang

 

The Memory of a Crow

A living crow friend



July 1, 2012 A few miles from Hatchet Creek Campground, Wyoming

I started this day cradling a dying paralyzed crow in my arms. As I headed back to Grand Teton National Park early this morning, on a 55mph highway that everyone flies on, I saw three crows pecking at something invisible on the road. This spot is a large aspen grove bisected by the highway. As I drove towards the birds, a fast moving large RV was headed in the opposite direction. I let off the throttle to allow the birds to fly up and across to no avail. In slow motion I watched as the three flew up and into the windshield of the RV; birds being thrown everywhere. The RV must have assumed that the birds would move; I never assume this. Two of the birds flew off nicked, but alive and unhurt. As I watched in horror in my side view mirror I saw that one had fallen into the lane behind me.

I noticed that the crow sat up so I decided to turn around. In the meantime, two more cars had driven over/past the crow. As I pulled over, I realized that the crow was now lying on its back, still breathing. I jumped out of my truck, ran across the road, and gently scooped the crow up into my arms. The crow did not fight, it's neck limp, apparently broken. As I cradled the injured bird it watched me with its eyes, no struggling, only labored breathing.

I moved to the side of my truck and sat down in the grassy shoulder along the edge of the aspen grove. Talking softly to the crow I apologized for not being able to do anything. I called upon divine guidance from the Universe to move through my helplessness. I couldn't stop crying; a teardrop fell upon its soft feathers. The crow could only blink, no ability to move. I could hear the other two crows calling from across the road in the other half of the aspen grove. I gently laid its still breathing body down at the base of a large aspen tree to let its mates come comfort and mourn its passing, as crows are known to do. As I left the area, I noticed an older flattened crow carcass along the shoulder just a few feet from where this incredible life was taken. Ever since this painful incident i have felt so much closer to crows and they seem less fearful of me- rarely flying when I walk past them.

All that RV had to do was lift off the gas pedal a bit to give the birds time to move. I would love to put out small signs in the form of birds, deer, coyotes, raccoons, etc. to mark where each has died as the result of a vehicle. Just like the crosses people put along the road where people have died in a vehicle accident. Imagine how many critter signs there would be along our roads. Maybe then people would slow down and pay more attention along the roads. I have run over critters, too and hit birds however, this can be minimized by looking for them along roads and again, lifting your foot off the gas pedal to allow that bird to live. You'll feel better for it.

Saving Washington's Wolves

Friday I took the day off to give testimony at the Washington Wildlife Commission hearing. Part of the agenda was an update on Washington's wolf packs and in addition, what happened with the decision to kill the Wedge pack in northeastern Washington. I have been very upset by the turn of events for our wolves so i felt the need to drive to Olympia and speak my truth. You can see the testimony of folks at www.tvw.org. Search for October 5th in the Columbia room. My testimony was around 5pm so you have to skim through to get to it. The ranchers and most of the Cattlemen's association folks were after me. The Farm bureau folks were before me. Mixed in were  the pro-wolf folks. I only had 3 minutes so i was unable to give the last 2 paragraphs of my testimony. I have included it here. It's Aldo Leopold's quote and the next paragraph.  yes, i choked up in the beginning and I'm proud of it. Even one of the commissioners did when he was talking about the decision to kill the pack. Here's my testimony-

Terri Wentworth-Davis

October 5, 2012

Washington Wildlife Commission Meeting      

Wedge Pack Wolf and Wolf Management Plan Comments

 

I am here representing myself and all of the friends, family, and co-workers who thanked me for taking the day off to come here. I also speak for the wolves as they can not speak for themselves. 

As a lifelong rural resident of Washington, I have watched many changes occur in the state- both good and bad- depending on your perspective. One of the most exciting is knowing wolves have returned to one of their home ranges in North America. Once again Washington is wild.

I have spent many weekends camping in the Twisp area hoping to hear from the former Lookout Pack; happy just knowing I was in their territory. I travel regularly to Yellowstone national park to observe and listen to the wolves. Now I have the chance to see or hear them much closer to home.

I am greatly saddened and angered by the recent turn of events- killing the Wedge Pack of wolves. First we lose a pack to selfish and uncaring poachers and now another to livestock interests who appear to believe that wolves are not part of the landscape. This is a belief from the 1800s and 1900s when Americans spent decades exterminating wolves and other predators mostly for the livestock industry. Maybe it’s time to enter the 21^st Century when we accept that wolves and other large predators have returned, were here long before us, and will be here long after us. Time to recognize we must learn to coexist with them.

Wolves are animals with complex social structures not unlike our own. Reports have said there were 8-11 wolves in the Wedge Pack. Tell me, if WDFW killed 6, where are the rest? What will become of them? Were they this year’s pups left to die of starvation?

I am asking that the wolf management plan be followed. Chapter 4 and Chapter 12 Task 4 have all the steps clearly defined for how to work with the wolves. This travesty may have been avoided if there were enforceable standards for what steps ranchers are required to take before a wolf is killed. Killing our wolves on our public lands because one individual, or even many, wishes them dead is unacceptable. It’s public- the wildlife and the land. I feel as if the public has been betrayed since the steps for modified husbandry and non-lethal deterrents are listed yet it seems as if all of the steps were not taken leading to killing the pack. Of course, how could that be avoided since they became habituated to killing the calves? Maybe, going back to the plan and incorporating and enforcing the listed steps would have prevented this; and taking a closer look at retiring grazing allotments in wolf territory.

I would like to end with a quote from a man who extinguished the green fire of a wolf’s eyes never to kill another wolf again-

“Examine each question in terms of what is ethically and esthetically right, as well as what is economically expedient. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community. It is wrong when it tends otherwise.” Aldo Leopold

There should be no “next time” for removing an entire pack of wolves. The stability and integrity of their presence and beauty must be preserved even if we all must pay a little more to help a willing rancher or another who suffers a loss.

Thank you.