Reflection on Time

Last week our family gathered for thanksgiving near the old family farmstead. My wife's family really, nine siblings, grandparents, in-laws, nieces, nephews and some great nieces. I know of a trail nearby that winds down into a creek valley. I took the opportunity to escape and hike down it on one of the early mornings. Hiking this trail is a yearly event for me. Ive hiked it for many years and usually think about the past year gone by as I look for deer sign. The trail itself is a reflection of time. At the top of the hill where the trail begins the geology is recent so to speak, the oak covered hills are glacial till, debris left behind from the last ice age that came this far south.
Quickly though as you descend the geology turns to limestones from the great inland sea millions of years before the present.
Near the bottom of the trail is a pond that has always provided some solitude for the few who need it. The dam that holds the pond in looks over into the creek bottom. The sun had yet to reach that far down and the pre-dawn twilight that had ended fifteen minutes ago up here still seemed to hang on below the dam. The temperature was several degrees cooler as well.
Much of the limestone has the remains of the creatures that lived here once, crinoids in particular. It was really very quiet here this morning, a few juncos carried on a morning conversation but that was about it. As I stood and took photos I was very thankful and happy to see all of our family but I was also thankful for the ponds reflection and the solitude. I knew soon in a short time things would be back to..
normal. Card games, conversations, good food, and the sound of laughter would be happening.
I would again be asked to take the family photo. These folks are of good German and Irish stock and are not easily told what to do, getting them together to take a photo is like herding 45 oppositional defiant cats.
But it usually works out.