ANOTHER SEASON

ANOTHER SEAS0N By Monty Curtis The full gleaming rustic colours of autumn blazed across the landscape. Golden leaves floated gently down to earth, and laid a carpet upon the soil. The days were shorter now and a slight chill was in the air, squirrels moved quickly stocking up their pantries against the pending season. The hedgehog full from his summer feast was sleepy and looking for a place to hibernate. As days went by the nights grew colder and gave birth to the first iced diamond frosty morning of winter. Visitors were arriving now feathered friends from northern lands flying south to escape the arctic storms and to eat the meagre foods from land and water. The wind blew cold from the north and dark grey clouds sent feathery flakes of snow drifting to the ground. Soon all the land was covered by a carpet of white, and rivers and ponds were frozen by a thick layer of ice. All was still except for Robins and Starlings searching for crumbs. The fox making his rounds to see that man had penned his ducks and hens for the night. In all this bareness winter lived, time passed by short dull days and long cold nights. Only the hardiest went abroad those with the thickest fur and the warmest feathers. Soon the falling snow turned to rain and the days grew a little longer, animals started to move about during the days, and the hedgehog in his home opened an eye and stretched lazily. Buds appeared on branches and pussy willow and catkins swung gently in the breeze. On a warm sunny morning in March a new born lamb unsteadily rose to its feet and leapt around the meadow, so glad that winter was dead and spring was born.