Kept on trekking...

The sun was shining today, and although there is more good snow predicted, snow and wind were both still somewhere on the other side of the mountains - a good day to see how my trail to the levee and on up to the pond was holding up,
Just past the cabin I spotted a yearling moose, a little cow, over in the willows. She looked plump and very much at ease so I moved on past her and followed the suggestion of my trail hard made trail of a couple of days ago.
Once out on the levee the going was easier thanks to the animals who had used the trail, preferring it, no doubt to the deep snow. For some reason this preference gave out the last quarter mile. It looked like I had never, much less a matter of, say 72 hours earlier, trudged out a trail. So trudge it out again it was and worth the effort for many more trumpeters had arrived since I was there. My guess is that there are at least 23 oe 24 swans now on Ewing Pond.
The return was easy and quick until I again approached the cabin. Now the young moose had settled down nicely for a post willow nap...almost right on my trail. Everything seemed friendly enough, memories of this youngster hanging out in the yard, looking in the windows, clumping around in our pond were fresh enough - almost - to make me proceed. Still, Anne, says I to me, this is a wild animal and you would do well to remember this. Once again then breaking trail and cutting a wide swath around the resting moose.
Wild animal, yes, but still, it does feel like some link has been formed over the summer. The moose never seemed concern about my presence. I, on the other hand, am sad that in only months, a yearling is abandoned by it's mother and must fend on it's own for the winter. Worse, I suppose, is that next fall, this little girl will be pursued by various randy bulls. Just seems too soon. But " thus is the nature of things." ( said the dog to Jemima Puddle-Duck when all of her eggs were destroyed by the fox. This is one of the things grandmothers are privy to know!)