Witch Trees

A month ago these trees stood in sharp contrast to the blackened ruins around. them. The fire must have burned very hot because the skeleton of this giant oak tree was coated in white ash...a ghost tree.  In contrast, the leaves on the oak trees on our side of the drainage swale are uniformly brown, fried by the intense heat, but the trunks and branches look fairly unaffected. 

It rained late last week and washed all the ash off the burned tree. The raucous cries of a crow drew my attention to the gnarly branches silhouetted against the sky. The twisted black fingers seemed compellingly sculptural amidst all the destruction. With the help of the rain, the ghost tree has transformed into the witch tree.. 

The rain also washed away a lot of the blackened  remains of last summer's grass in the fields and  brought out a smear of tiny green sprouts. Soon the black fields will be emerald green, their normal winter raiment. We're being told it wasn't enough rain to be able to call an end to the fire season, but we're being told a lot of things that normal observation would tend to belie.

RAIN
Rain scuttles across the tin roof
Wind boxing against its windows
Trying to get in
Lightning flashes with a crack across the murky muddy sky and the
booming goes on and on, echoing, echoing.
The the sun peeks over the horizon, sending pink rays of light
streaming through the windows.
The sparklng beauty of the world emerges
dew drops dripping from pine needles
The soft swoosh between the spruce trees whispering their sad but beautiful farewell to rain.

-Josh Cohen, age 10
Winner of the Audubon Canyon Ranch Conservation Society writing contest.

The Audubon Canyon Ranch conducts docent led hikes and outdoor experiences for fourth and fifth graders. Their classroom and library burned down in the Nun's Fire of 2017. During the pandemic and the closure of the schools, they are conducting remote experiences.