The Primal Journey

Spring in an old-growth forest, the backdrop for this story, is innately beautiful and teeming with life. Spring is a time of renewal, of birth and re-birth. The flora and fauna collectively hail its arrival. Welcoming Spring is an all-encompassing celebration, a fever, an epidemic. Our traveler not only encounters this Spring fever epidemic but participates in it as well.  Here is her story.

The primal journey continued. Dead brown leaves of oak, maple, ash, birch and other deciduous trees covered the forest floor. Mold upon the leaves created an acute musky smell that was almost all-inclusive.  A mild drizzle created a continuous, delicate drum beat upon the leaf-filled ground. Crocuses, the forerunners of Springs vast assortment of flowers poked their lavender colored blooms through the brown blanket. A colorful array of tiny buds dotted the forest vegetation eager to pop and bring forth their various leaves and blossoms. The Spring fever epidemic ran rampant in the animal world as well. Creatures of all types were eager to bask in the brilliance of the new season. Frisky sparrows hastily flew here and there collecting brush to build their nests. Robins poked the ground in search of worms. Male Cardinals with their feathers of deep red sung their enchanting love songs to the lady Cardinals. Blue Jays squawked warnings to their brethren establishing territorial rights. Gray squirrels chased one another up and down trees. Chipmunks scampered from one hidey-hole to another. Spring was once again liberating the vigorous flora and fauna from the weakening grip of Winter. She soldiered on. The faint, familiar scent imprinted upon her brain even before birth drew her closer. Muffled clucking sounds further accentuated the instinctual need to persist. The primal journey continued.

Suddenly there was a rustling in the leaves ahead. Stop! Her pulse quickened, adrenalin rushed through her motionless body. Danger? No, too small. A meal? No; not now. A male Predaceous Diving Beetle crawled along on his six spindly, hair covered legs; the hind two flat and rectangular like an oar. The little fellow was far more at home in the water than on land. In fact, the entire body of this category of beetle was hydrodynamically designed. They spent most of their lives in water hunting various aquatic larva.  Had this been a different reality, the beetle could have been the predator of this duo. His black tortoise-like shell wobbled from side to side and his stringy black antennae probed continuously as he crossed her path. Likely he was destined for some body of water either in search of a tasty meal or a tasty mate. He probably didn’t realize how close he had come to being dinner. But fortunately for the armored insect her urge to continue was too great, greater even than the need to eat. The primal journey continued.

The sun was quickly setting below the distant horizon. The scent grew stronger and the sound became louder. Her pace quickened. The wet ground was replaced with water. She swam. The consistent precipitation had agitated the clayey alluvial banks of the meandering stream causing the soil to mix with the water like cream in coffee. The air temperature was warm for late February, balmy in fact, but the streams temperature hadn’t adjusted. The chilly water was quickly dropping her body temperature. Her motion began to slow. Yet she endured. The primal journey continued.

Twilight turned to dusk. The vanishing light would afford her a degree of safety. Still though, any number of dangers could be lurking in the muddy water. Monster like snapping turtles with their horned carapaces and nightmarish heads frequented the stream bottom and were always on the lookout for prey. An assortment of snakes like the Eastern Ribbon, the Garter and the venomous Copperhead were quite comfortable cruising the water in search of dinner. A variety of fish like the Spotted Trout were voracious hunters and responsible for consuming more of her kind than any other predator. At last water gave way to slick earth. But danger was still present. Indeed, threats existed on land, in the water, and from the air.  A veritable triad of peril. Land-based predators included the racoon, the infamous masked bandit. This omnivorous hunter/scavenger was far from picky, and would devour fruits, nuts, leaves, vertebrates and invertebrates. Threats from above include birds of prey like the majestic Bald Eagle, the Red-tailed Hawk, and the Barn Owl. A plethora of predators considered frogs to be quite the culinary delicacy. She leaped ahead with purpose. The primal journey continued.

The scent was strong now, and the sound sharp. She was getting close. Her heart rate quickened. Her pace accelerated. A mix of jumping and crawling propelled her forward. The primal journey continued.

Dusk gave way to night, and clouds gave way to clear sky. The sound of rustling leaves was everywhere now. A virtual army of amphibians marched toward the many vernal pools ahead. Several species chose their destination only by the mating call of their species. Others like the Wood frog were obligate; drawn by the algal scent of their natal pool as well as the mating calls. She was very close now; only a few more feet. The primal journey continued.

The love calls of hundreds of individuals created a deafening chorus. There were the high-pitched whistles of tiny Spring Peepers, the pleasant-sounding trill of American Toads, the chicken-like clucks of the Wood Frog, and the barely audible low snore of Pickerel Frogs. At last she reached her destination. Light from the full moon reflected on her natal pool. She quickly dove in. The water rippled from the flurry of activity. Spotted Salamanders congressed underwater, male frogs called with urgency their cheeks and chins puffing in cartoon-like fashion. Female frogs jumped in the water in increasing numbers and the amphibian orgy commenced.

He approached her. His voice was strong. His sandy brown and pale green markings glowed in the moonlight. His eyes were radiant like gold jewels. She turned away signaling her approval. Her primal journey had reached a successful conclusion.