There has been a stillness upon this mountain top as of late. My own little oasis has become a bastion of silence. The past couple of weeks there have been stretches, long stretches, when not a lick of wind is moving. The Earth is eerily still and, whereas I normally arise before daylight, not even the animals are stirring. It is a quiet, calm, magical feeling to explore the outside in utter silence.
For twenty five years the folks in the cabin behind me have lived here year round. They are known, well known by first name alone, upon this ranch. Their depth of knowledge and experience here is unrivaled and I was lucky enough to watch them last winter. A chance to see how they move upon the snow. What routes they take. How often they maintain the track trails we come to depend upon.
My neighbors are no longer wintering on the mountain. They come back, they visit, they explore, but this mountain top is now, after a single season, transferring from one caretaker to another. I will do my best to tend the ranch, the roads, and the gates from afar, all the while remembering the footsteps of those who walked before me. Much can be learned, if one cares to open their eyes, ears, and their heart.