Rugged and pristine, a tantalizing combination of pre-Cambrian shield and boreal forest
Hauntingly silent,
Grey billowing clouds lazily drifting across the sky
A snow-covered landscape as far as the eye can see
Icicles on rock faces like walrus tusks
The landscape covered in a blanket of white powdered purity
Fluffy snow drifting from the treetops, like wisps of smoke from a stone cottages chimney
Lakes and rivers caught in an icy winters grip
New trails to blaze, like the voyagers of old
Whispering voices from the distant past catch my ear
Loggers to be sure
The sharp thwack of the axe sinking deeply into the majestic white pine
Was this my fertile imagination, or just the crack of a frozen tree limb?
A Red Fox scampering across a trail, stopping to give quizzical look at this interloper before moving on
An Otter, chattering her displeasure at my intrusion into her winter wonderland, before disappearing into the depths of the black running water
An Osprey circling far above, watching the landscape unfold below on each lazy pa**
Jays raising the alarm from the treetops
Light is fading; a soft snow is starting to fall
Time to go, must I?
Reality calls, a return to the urban sprawl
Farewell my ALGONQUIN WONDERLAND
Until another Christmas Day.