NEW and OLD

Early morning walk today took us through the neighborhood while we listened to the chirping of birds and chittering of the squirrels.  The neighborhood is always quiet during the morning…our neighbors prefer to stay tucked under their warm blankets before heading into their  daily chores.   But they are missing out by not seeing the four young deer up to their bellies in  the tall grass field, their heads turned toward us, curious whether we are danger to them; and, the dew dripping from plants, and grass in the pasture; and the red hawks cry in the high evergreen tree; and the soft cool morning breeze whipping through the leafy deciduous trees and over the tall grasses causing us to snuggle our wraps around us tighter. A new spring leaf on the road must have fallen from the nearby maple tree.  Its  bright spring colors spreading from its vanes into the leaf.  It wasn’t strong enough to hang on through the summer or maybe a squirrel or the wind  brought it down from so high.   Then not far from the new leaf on the road was an old dark curled ragged looking alder leaf somewhat intact from last fall.   What a contrast of nature….I just had to take these home today for a sketch.