CHARLOTTE'S WEB

Most late afternoons Koty and I take a walk around the property. With the return to standard time late is suddenly getting early. The walks are mostly just for our enjoyment but it's also when I look for work that needs to be done or finished.

This is burn season, a time when one can burn the slash accumulated since spring without starting the whole forest on fire. Fuel reduction is one of my obsessions. Pine beetles have been at work in this forest and they have killed a lot of trees. Many of those trees stand like giant torches just waiting to be lit. If a fire were to start this place would go up like a torch. The practical reason for the walk this afternoon was to check on a fire to make sure it was burning down as planned.

After tending to fire duties I decided to walk along Koty Bear Creek. I love to listen to the sound of the water cascading down the mountain. Whilst walking along the creek I came across this spider web spread over an old wound in a spruce trunk. It was so perfect in it's design and construction. The first thing that popped into my head was Charlotte's web. I didn't see Charlotte but she had built one fine web.

I have walked this property thousands of times and always marvel at the new and interesting things I see. I am constantly amazed by the industry and the artistry of nature.

©Kinsey Barnard