Blue Shadows Farm: A Novel

34. Hiking Emma’s Farm—November 2000

205 November 2000 Joe stopped at the newspaper office promptly at three-thirty the next day. Kate was on the phone when he came into the office; she waved a hand at him as she wound up her conversation. “Okay, I’m ready,” she said. A few minutes later they arrived at Blue Shadows Farm and headed out on the trail that the middle school children usually took when Joe and Emma led hikes. The pungent smell of fall was everywhere. They walked through a scattering of dead leaves on the trail. The afternoon was cool, and the sky was clear without a cloud in sight. “Trees have about lost their leaves,” Joe said. He pointed to a hillside of aspen and maples above the sparkling blue waters of the pond. A few remaining bright yellow and scarlet leaves remained on their mostly bare branches. “It’s beautiful today,” Kate said. So far she had said little as she hiked along the trail, kicking her boots through the dead leaves. “Anything in particular you’d like to see?” Joe asked. “The lightning-struck tree, of course.” 34 Hiking Emma’s Farm “Almost there,” Joe said. They walked another hundred yards, and he pointed to a tree standing at the edge of the trail. “See that big pine tree?” “Yes.” “Well, look close; see that scar up near the top?” “No, I can’t see a scar.” “Let’s get a little closer, and I’ll show you.” They walked up to the big pine, the scar now easily visible, along with a ragged furrow that led from the top of the tree to the ground where the bark had been torn off. Pieces of pinewood were scattered all around. “Wow,” Kate said. “Never saw anything like this before.” “Lightning is powerful. You don’t mess with it. Ask anybody who plays golf. A thunderstorm comes up, and you’d better hightail it off the course.” “Were the kids in any danger, as Ashley Anderson argued?” “Nah. We were way back down the trail. Kids could see the tree though, and of course the sound of the thunder was deafening.” “Turned out to be a good nature lesson,” Joe said. “I guess Ashley Anderson doesn’t agree with you.” “Guess not, but it’s no reason to quit having nature hikes. Like I told you yesterday, you can’t learn about nature without being out in it. And sometimes we’re surprised. Can’t always predict what nature will do.” “So you don’t think the kids were in any danger?” Kate asked again. “Definitely not,” Joe said as he picked up a piece of wood that the lightning had torn from the tree. “But I have another worry.” “What’s that?” “Ashley Anderson makes me wonder how many more parents out there agree with her. Probably a lot more than I think. She’s got me thinking. I’ll give her that.” 206 Hiking Emma’s Farm—November 2000 207 Hiking Emma’s Farm—November 2000 They continued hiking to the top of a little hill that overlooked the pond in the valley. The blue waters of the pond, with the mostly bare branches and gray tree trunks surrounding it, contrasted with the bright blue, cloudless sky. A late flock of Canada geese winged high overhead, their calls filling the quiet of the afternoon. “It’s beautiful,” Kate said, breathing deeply. “I understand why you like hiking in the woods.” “Do it every chance I get.” They sat together on a little bench that overlooked the lake, neither of them saying anything. The bench itself was special, one that Joe built following the Aldo Leopold bench plan. Just when Joe was about to explain its history, he caught a movement near the pond. A buck deer emerged from the shadows to the north, walked to the pond, and dipped his muzzle in the water. Sunshine reflected off the massive horns as he lifted his head, big brown ears flicking back and forth, listening, always listening. Joe held his finger to his lips and pointed toward the big buck. He felt Kate shiver when she saw the animal. “Isn’t he beautiful?” Joe whispered. “Can we leave now?” Kate said, standing up quickly and turning to walk the trail back to the farmstead. “What did I do?” Joe said. “Nothing, you didn’t do anything...