Midland Today welcomes letters to the editor. They can be sent to [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication).
Today is quintessential November, unrelenting grey sky, chilly temperatures and light snow without even the cheer of Christmas lights; a recipe for depression and COVID anxiety.
Enter three totally unrelated events, which transformed the gloom.
In the bush beside an urban walking trail close to a subdivision, a small, very white mammal was scratching around on the forest floor. I assumed it to be a pet which had escaped captivity.
With a dazzling coat and long tail banded with black it appeared unfazed by my scrutiny. Google tells me that it’s an ermine, which I previously knew only as trim for royal cloaks in St. Petersburg or Westminster. What a privilege to actually see it alive in its habitat!
Later in the supermarket line, the lady in front of me insisted that I take her place. A very kind gesture much appreciated by an old woman with two full shopping baskets.
After lunch, a male cardinal lit up the dull brown grass under the bird feeder with his glowing plumage. As only an occasional visitor, each appearance is a delight.
Midland continues to offer unexpected pleasures even in November.
Fortunately the ermines and the cardinals aren’t in lockdown and thoughtful people show up in unexpected places.
Elizabeth O’Connor
Midland
