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Carol and Queen Page 3 of 3
We wandered away from the two bears that had so graciously let us into their afternoon. We approached the glacier fed river and spotted two trumpeter swans gliding together in unison on the glassy, still surface of the water. We crouched down in the mud of the river bank to watch them, and hoped that if we stayed still enough they wouldn’t get spooked and fly off. It was their mating season as well as the bears, and floating side by side they mirrored each other’s every movement. Dipping their long, white necks in unison, they wound their necks into curving, circular patterns. Facing each other they mirrored the twists of their necks, pressing their beaks to one another, and forming the shape of a perfect heart. My heart melted at the sight.
As if they moment couldn’t get any more magical we suddenly spotted a brilliant orange fox appearing out of the mist. She was headed our way, cutting through the fog with a steady and diligent stride. She had an intensely ethereal quality, a fluorescent orange puff of fur appearing out of nowhere, floating closer and closer to us. We watched the little fox dip down into a river channel and scramble up the other side, undeterred, in our direction.
The little fox glidedright up to us, took a few sniffs, and then trotted off as silently as she appeared. We turned back to the river and see a dark grizzly bear ambling up to the river next to the swans. The swans aren’t concerned in the least and continue their floating neck ballet.
The bear slowly padded across the river, a perfect reflection of his body shining in the stillness of the water. Everything in this place is magic, beauty and wonder, stillness and absolute perfection. I’m reminded, so clearly, of how there isn’t anything more beautiful in this world than that which is not human.
© 2008 Jessica Teel |
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