Sometimes in the morning walking up from the shop I take the other path, a short straight one that intersects with the beginning of our long straight driveway off Doe Run Road.  Particularly when the sun is not behind the clouds– the alternative being common here this time of year–the straight path catches more light.  This morning—yes!—the clouds were gone and walking up to the driveway,  an alder branch caught my eye.  Yesterday’s and last night’s rain had bent the branch down nearly to my head and the cluster of young leaves—less than an inch across—brought a wide smile to my life that moment (whether or not it showed on my face was no concern to me).  How many shades of pink and green and yellow there can be in one small space!  And that is just on one of the trails in these woods!  The rich man smiles again….

          A few days ago I came up the same way and nearly stepped on a three-inch newt slowly making his way across the driveway.  Slowly, but not without some grace.  Newts’ legs move in the same sequence that horses use when running– left front right rear, right front left rear—though very slowly.  I watched for a minute or two and knew that he was not intimidated by my presence, though I’m roughly 200,000 times larger than he. I’m well aware of another national Newt, though that one has a very noticeable sense of self-importance, unaware of thoughts and words much more profound than his own.  Ah, but this one on the road I like!  Not resisting the temptation, I picked up a twig and slowly put it in front of his eyes.  He stopped absolutely still.  So I ran the twig gently up and down his back.  Still still.  I left him shortly and went my way.  But coming back down the driveway some time later, he was still unmoved.  I may have unwittingly hypnotized him, though the next time down he was gone, no evidence that he had been squished by a tire.  Two newts gone.  Enough to make a rich man smile again…