Describe a scene in nature.

Prompt: Describe a scene in nature.

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I opened my eyes to a woven canopy of black branches and bright yellow leaves. The sun sparkled through the boughs as the Autumn air passed through the old walnut tree. I rubbed my eyes with my fists and stretched my toes out straight and looked around the field. The grass was a brown and green bowl with forests at its rim, but there were no trees around the black walnut tree.

I sat up and breathed in the chilly afternoon air. “Hey, you fell asleep Jen,” I said to the pale faced redhead still asleep on my right. I poked her with my single finger created by the woolen mits and she jumped a little. “Wake up babe.”

“Mm,” Jen grunted. She smiled and squinted up at me through one eye. “Did I fall asleep?”

“We both did. You’re mom won’t be happy.”

“Ah, she can have one darn meal without us.” Jen sat up and stretched, then she put her arm around me and buried her face in my shoulder. “Besides, it’s beautiful out here, don’t you think? So different from the city, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it is very different. And very beautiful.”

“Is that hummingbird still in the tree?” She shielded her eyes and looked through the branches above.

“I don’t hear it.” We both searched again. “There-” I pointed to a place almost directly above Jen’s head about seven feet up.

“No that’s just a black bird.”

“That’s a crow, darling,” I said. “But I was pointing to the nest. You see? Just below the green walnuts there.”

“Is that the hummingbird’s nest?” Jen looked at me with her eyes wide and mouth agape.

“Yes,” I said. “I told you.”

“But what is the crow doing?”

I was so excited about spotting such a small thing in a tree that I did not think about the crow. “Well, I suppose he’s there to eat the eggs.”

“No!” Jen said, covering her mouth. “He wouldn’t!”

“Oh, I’m afraid he would darling. The American crow is a carnivore. He must have been waiting for the mother to leave.” I smiled. That sounded very plausible indeed and I was pleased with my ability to give a ready answer.

“But what about the babies?”

“I’m not sure there are even eggs in that nest. For all we know it could be empty.”

“No Jon, no, if it were empty that devil beast wouldn’t be near it!”

“Now just calm down Jen, there is no need in getting worked up about it either way, nature will do as it will.”

“To hell with that!” Jen got to her feet and marched to the trunk of the tree and hugged it around the middle. “Give me a step Jon!”

“Jen! What are you doing, those are new boots! You’ll fall and kill yourself.”

“Oh shut it Jon. Hurry up, I don’t want that crow to get those eggs.”

I didn’t know what to say so I did like she asked and let Jen step into my linked hands and up the the lowest branch which she managed to pull herself up to.

“Are you alright?” I said.

“Yes, yes, be quiet, you need to catch me if I fall.”

If she falls? If she falls what then? My heart beat faster. “Why don’t we just throw something at it? Shoo! Shoo!” I said, waving my hands up at the crow, who looked on at us strange creatures and our endeavor.

Jen balanced herself on the branch and worked her way out to the nest. “Shoo you darn thing,” she said.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m almost there.”

“Just shake the branch,” I said.

“Shake the branch?”

“Yes, just bounce until he flies away.”

“Alright,” Jen said. She held on to some of the floating branches around her and started to squat up and down, shaking the branch.

The crow was alarmed at first, but when he saw the extent of the danger, he went back to sniffing around the nest.

“No, darn you!” Jen jumped harder, then harder. The branch gave a great snap.

“Uh, Jen. Jen! Stop shaking!”

But she didn’t stop. She kept on bouncing and shaking and then it happened. The branch broke free from the trunk and came crashing down along with the humming bird’s nest, and Jen. The crow however, flew away, and avoided the tumble altogether.