This was a 4 to five hour project that started out as a senior year discriptive essay that was actually two or three weeks over due. ^_^;;; The iea behind it was personally a way to show that, even in today's society, there are places on earth that Mother Nature can still claim as trully how they are ment to be.

The Forest

Golden bands of light flood the heavens chasing the receding diamond strewn velvet sky away. As minutes pass a faint, rosy pink dusts the eastern horizon heralding the coming day as it deepened and changed to gold. A single sweet melody fills the still morning air as a nightingale sings one last song before retiring for the day. Slowly, the daytime animals awaken and the forest once again fills with the sounds of nature. Multitudes of birds saturate the air with song and color as they care for their young or dart from tree to tree and glide through the air. Rainbows of butterflies dance in the sun strewn clearings that dot the forest from one end to the other. Squirrels chatter back and forth, relaying any news and gossip to the other forest creatures. Snakes slither through the dead leaves that cover the forest floor as they travel throughout the whole forest. A light breeze flows through the forest caressing flowers, fruit, and leaves in its wake. The smell of damp earth from a light shower the night before mixes with the heady floral scents and heightens natural woody aroma that is prevalent in all forests.

In a bright clearing a herd of deer nibble on the fresh spring grasses, heather, and alfalfa as the young fawns play tag around the adults. Clackཀ The does start, but only see two of the younger bucks sparing; rushing one another again and again to crash their antlers together, the sound reverberating through the air. The fawns watch the two awhile as the does return to feeding. Before long other males are sparing and the forest resonates with the sounds of their attacks. All along the forest floor ants rush here and there with plant parts and other assorted items. Bees buzz from one flower to another before returning to the hive near a small river that runs the length of the forest. A grizzly bear tries to steal some of the sweet honey from the bees only to end up with a very sore nose and finally, grumbling, he lumbers away in search of an easier meal.

Along the river bank a pack of wolves, the forest's most deadly hunters, drink. Their fur ranges gray, golden, tan, brown, black, and many varied combinations of these colors. The pups romp around the adults, wrestling, rolling, and mock fighting. Their growls are very light and almost humorous as they practice the very skills needed to survive to adulthood. Some of the adults stand in the middle of the river still as statues. Suddenly, in a flurry of movement and splashing water they capture a fish a piece. Some of the fish are large enough for two to share but most are only able to feed one. The fishers return to the bank only to be replaced by other wolves. The smell of wet dog and fish fills the air. Not far from the wolves a tawny lynx and her three kits drink from the river's edge before she leads them off for hunting lessons.

The sun is high in the sky when the lynx come across the herd of deer. The adult female lynx sends the kits to spook the herd in to a frenzy. After they have done their task she takes down a doe as the herd rushes by. Her kits have also done well. At their mother's paws they lay the carcase of an almost full grown fawn that was not fast enough to flee the three lynx kits. The lynx drags the doe's carcase back to the den. The kits are working together to bring the fawn as they follow their mother. Suddenly the female drops her prize and growls out a warning. From the thick underbrush a grizzle appears. The lynx knows this intruder by instinct and only backs away as the huge male lumbers to her dropped kill. As the bear begins to tear into his newly acquired meal the female lynx takes the fawn from her kits and with the young ones in tow makes her way home.

The wolf pack scent the deer and follow the smell to the clearing where the herd resides. They move in swiftly and silently but a doe spots them and takes off. In seconds the whole herd is on the run and the wolves give chase. As the wolves run they spread out and form a horseshoe around the herd to cut off those that might try to break for the sides. As the two groups run an elder buck falls but a second later he is up again. It is too late. The wolves are bearing down on him and within moments the buck is dead. The wolves will feast well tonight and tomorrow.

As the sun begins to set the daylight animals return to their homes. The squirrels tuck away in their tree holes and the birds to their nests. Many insects find places to rest on for the night while others awaken. The lynx and her kits have returned home and are dining on the fruit of their hunt while the grizzly continues to gorge himself on the doe's carcase. With the setting of the sun new sounds can be heard. A lone wolf sends up a mournful cry only to be joined by others as the loner is reunited with its pack, their voices harmonizing in an ancient song. Bats from an near by cavern take flight to feed the night away, their squeaks resonating throughout the air. Crickets chirp as twilight falls over the land. Owls swoop as ghosts through the trees, seeking out mice and other small animals to eat.

The night is slowly filled with the sound of animals hunting, chattering, and seeking out possible mates while driving intruders of their territory. The nocturnal plants also awaken, releasing intoxicating scents to attract animals to feast on the nectar or fruits and pollinate the blossoms many have revealed. As the night deepens the nightingales awaken and take flight. The forest takes on a silvery shine as a luminous full moon rises to bathe the world in an ethereal light. Softly a sweet and low song is heard as first one then another nightingale gives voice to the beauty of the night until the whole forest comes to life with songs only heard after dark. Shadowy figures move across the forest floor, their appearances blurred and diluted by deep night shadows. A light fog rises off the sun warmed forest floor, adding to the obscurity of the nocturnal animals and the forest its self.

A faint hooting is heard from a roosting owl as it rests before taking flight to hunt. Rodents rustle in the underbrush as they sought out any seeds to be found while keeping an eye out for predators. Several slumbering bucks roll and kick out for no reason before settling once again. Wolves whimper, growl, snarl, and bark in their sleep, their limbs moving as if chasing something. The pups roll over onto their backs and paw at the air, growling at unseen enemies. The forest is filled with the muted sounds of life at rest and in action. Near the deer herd a swarm of bats crowd a small group of blooming fruit trees; each competing for the most nectar. Other bats feast on swarms of insects.

The soft muted sounds of the forest fade in the final hours of the night. An almost pure silence fills the bleak emptiness as the night dwellers return home to slumber till the sun sets again. It is an endless cycle here in the heart of the wilderness. The day brings enchanting experiences to the animals that live here and to those few who ever reach this blessed sanctuary. With the coming of night a whole new life is lived by and through the animals and the rare mortal soul that finds its way to this lost land. It is a paradise hidden in this day and age behind the technological growth and human ignorance.