Raven

A raven traveled with my team yesterday. It has been more than a few days of temperatures that hover in the 30's, 40's and even dipping into the deep freeze of 55 below zero here in interior Alaska. Those temperatures seem to bring our frozen world into a still one. The buzz of winter activity softens into a slight hum. The environment seeming to breathe a little shallower, more of an internal focus than before. To me, this raven seemed restless, as if he was bored of the sleepy turn in our winter and wanted to play. He flew high above our team, following the trail as we did. When his speed brought him past the point of being our self designated lookout, he would swoop down a slough to our right or left and deep into the forest past what my eyes could see. It wouldn't be but seconds before he would come soaring high again. Shooting above the trees and back above us to see if we had surprised him in where we were trotting off to. He seemed to relish the soft upset to the quiet we brought. The unnatural spark of reflective tape on harness' in the January sun, the jingle of metal on metal at 30 below zero. A part of me wished I got a video of my new friend. But I know a camera more times than not, turns the magical into the mundane. So instead, I just hope to see him again.