Welcome, December

It's December. Today marks the beginning of meteorological Winter. The latest snow storm hasn't yet started in our neighborhood but the forecasts say soon. Earlier today there was a hawk perched in the back yard pear tree. That tree is about 50 yards from the feeders behind the house. While the hawk was in the pear tree not a single small bird arrived at the feeders. The hawk noticed us watching it and flew away. Within a minute or so, the feeders were full of chickadees and nuthatches. Funny how that happens, isn't it?

chickadee on lookout

Photo by J. Harrington

December's full moon will be on the 22nd,  a few days before Christmas, but Christmas should have close to a full moon's light. The question is, will it shine on "new fallen snow?" The Anishnaabe call December's full moon manidoo-gizisoons, small spirits moon, a time of healing. We're not sure we'd enjoy a year's full of December's North Country weather, but these days a year's full of a time of healing would seem to just begin to make a dent in the need.

chickadee feeding on sunflower seeds

Photo by J. Harrington

Our Winter Solstice comes locally at 4:23 pm on the 21st, the day before the full moon. We're not sure if there's any interaction between full moons and Winter Solstices, but there's lots of other December folklore and celebrations to note this month, including Hannukah. If Winter is supposed to be a time when Nature sleeps and rejuvenates, why haven't we humans picked up on that idea. The beginning of the Winter season is full of activity for us. Then again, chickadees didn't get that memo either it seems.

[UPDATE: Snow started falling here about 3:30 pm. We'll see how much we get.]

December Notes

By Nancy McCleery

The backyard is one white sheet 

Where we read in the bird tracks 

The songs we hear. Delicate 

Sparrow, heavier cardinal, 

Filigree threads of chickadee. 

And wing patterns where one flew 

Low, then up and away, gone 

To the woods but calling out 

Clearly its bright epigrams. 

More snow promised for tonight. 

The postal van is stalled 

In the road again, the mail 

Will be late and any good news 

Will reach us by hand.

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