Coyote Serenade

What a difference a year makes…
Getting our Christmas tree in northern B.C.

A week before Christmas we set out to find our Christmas tree, hiking along the deserted Cedarvale back road. We walked carefully, the light dusting of snow over ice made for treacherous footing, but revealed animal tracks that we had fun identifying… red squirrel, moose, fox and wolf. It was a silent world except for our own conversation. Then we heard the yip howl of a coyote off in the distance. Soon another answered, and then another. This haunting coyote serenade accompanied us as we searched the forest edges for our tree. About a mile from the cabin we found a tree that we liked, and Bob cut it down with the pruning saw. Snowflakes began to fall in the winter twilight, dusting our jackets and wool caps as we brought the tree home, leaving behind our own tracks in the snow plus the trailing tip of our tree.

The tree now stands next to the wooden stairs, a colorful quilt at its feet; a garland of red velvet ribbon tumbles from one green branch to another. Gingerbread hearts and paper snowflakes dangle from boughs illuminated by the tiny candle lights that glow softly on log walls and ceiling beams. The tree itself fills the cabin with the fragrance of forest and snowdrifts, and still tingles with the wild notes of a coyote song. (Journal entry from a past Christmas.)

... P. L. Morningstar