Forested Memories

Today’s writing exercise is ‘Setting a Scene’. I was given certain parameters of time of day, location, weather and atmosphere. From a set of virtual buttons, I was able to choose specifics for each of the parameters. From the menu at <www.writingexercises.co.uk> I chose: dawn, forest, eery and foggy

Forested Memories

It was dawn in the forest. Weak light from the sun shone an almost eery light through the pines surrounding the old cabin. Nancy liked to step out on the old porch when the fingers of fog that slipped in from the inlet threaded their way through the tall jack pines. This old log cabin had been in her family for a couple of generations. The early morning silence was broken with the cry of a single eagle returning to her nest from a hunt on the still waters of the inlet for prey to feed her nestlings. Nan had stoked the old wood stove inside just before shrugging her quilted plaid jacket on and stepping out on the porch, Smoke curled lazily from the chimney, drifting away to disappear into the  thinning grey fog. The eagle’s cry and the aroma of wood smoke were pleasant companions for Nan’s morning. She sat quietly in an old cane rocking chair, her corn cob pipe crowing cold. She could almost hear her parents calling to  each other. 

“Coffee and breakfast is ready, Estelle.” 

“Coming, John. Are the children up yet?’

Her mom would bring in fresh eggs from their chickens and beans from the garden. Her father had already been out to milk their cow and feed their goats. In that small cabin, there was little room for more than her parents, Nancy and her sister. Her father John had fashioned a sleeping loft for the children with a now rickety set of stairs up from the kitchen. In a curtained off corner at the back, John and Estelle had a quaint privacy. 

An eagle’s call pierced Nan’s nostalgia. Rustling in the pines signalled that squirrels would soon be chattering their own cheery ‘good morning’. Nan stood up and stretched, the old rocking chair squealing in relief. Coffee was ready and breakfast would soon be on the table.

“..forests are like churches, hallowed places. 

There’s a stillness about them, a sort of reverence.”

~ Sabrina Elkins, Stir Me Up