Hidden Things

Today on the early morning bus run I saw a pair of foxes. The one was running across the field and the other was waiting ahead. That paled in comparison to what my neighbor saw on the bridge: a young cougar. Not a puma or a mountain lion, but a cougar. It was a young one, apparently out for a morning walk.

Now, I think this cat has been here all along. I think that, because we didn't see him/her, we might think he wasn't there. We've walked that bridge many times, living life in denial that we were sharing it with such a powerful predator.

And, speaking of predators, I remain grateful that we have no rattlesnakes. Many places in northeast Oregon do. They, too, hide very well.

Perspective

Today is a beautifully crisp, clear, winter day. That is, if one is sitting as I am, on the side of the mountain. The valley floor looks as if as giant cotton ball was dropped on it. If I go down, it'll be a drab, dreary, dark day.

Both areas are the same place by many definitions. But, fog settles. So, we sit and think what a marvelous day this is while our neighbors wonder when they'll see the sun again.

The New Year in Our Community

2009 is here and, with it, the annual Christmas Tree Pickup. Every year the Scouts canvass the city, picking up the trees. The Scouts have a lot of fun - one of the major high points is jumping on them to mash them down into the dumpster so that they can be mulched later. Other Scouts like collecting the many donations. Some like to toss the trees. Service can be fun!

This would not be possible without the support of many volunteers. I have organized this for years and am almost at the point where I could do it in my sleep. The Scout leaders are the backbone of the process but the news paper makes sure everyone knows about it, the garbage service donates the dumpsters, and the entire community is ready and waiting for us to pick up their trees.

So kudos to all the volunteers out there: No one can ever know or gauge all that volunteers do.