Henry’s Winter

“Still winter,” Pip, the deer mouse, sniffs from her hollow in the old cypress tree.

Mia, the blue jay, fluffs her feathers, “Snow covers the Watercolor Woods in winter.  Beautiful.”

Pip hops downs, “The woods are quiet in winter.”

“Hmmm,” Mia thinks, “Maybe, the woods are sleeping.”

“Why?”  Pip asks.

Mia smiles, “It’s winter, almost Groundhog Day.”

Pip’s whisker’s twitch, “Henry!”

Pip presses her paws together, “Do think he will wake up for Groundhog Day?”

Mia shrugs, “Maybe.”

Pip frowns, “Huh?”

Mia flaps down beside her, “I know Henry sleeps a lot in the winter.  But, Jasper, the opossum, does not.  And, Boone, the raccoon, disappears sometimes, but comes back hungry.  Oliver, the bullfrog, just sits in the mud, like a statue.

“You’re right!” Pip’s eyes fill with wonder. “Let’s ask Henry.”

“Hey. Look at the ground near Henry’s burrow entrance.  There is little snow there.”

Mia hops closer, “The ground seems warmer here.”

“Henry?”  Pip calls.  “Are you awake?”

Mia leans closer, “Henry?  It’s Pip and Mia.”

Pip sighs, “Do you think he is is hibernating?”

A tired voice answers, “ Technically, I am.

Pip squeaks, “Henry!”

“Hello,” Henry yawns. “Is it Groundhog Day already?”

Mia grins, “Almost!”

Henry yawns again, “It’s hard to tell when I sleep through winter.”

Mia laughs, “That’s what we came to ask you.  Why do you sleep so much in winter?”

Stretching, Henry replies, “Ah!  I hibernate in winter.  Sometimes I wake up, but mostly I sleep.”

Mia tilts her head, “But, Jasper does not hibernate.  And, Oliver does not move all winter.”

“Hold on,” Henry calls out down to the creek, “Oliver?  Are you awake down there?”

“No.  I’m not awake, but I can hear you,” Oliver groans.

Pip giggles, “He sounds sleepy.”

Henry chuckles, “Oliver does not hibernate like I do.  He brumates.

“Brumates?”  Pip repeats.

“Yes.” Oliver agrees.  I am cold-blooded.  My body temperature matches the world around me.  So, I brumate, not hibernate.”

Henry nods, “And, I am warm-blooded.  I go into a deep, winter sleep.  My heart beats slower.  My breathing slows.  And, I live off stored fat.”

Oliver adds, “Brumation is what cold-blooded animals do.  We become very still, because the cold makes us slow.  We don’t sleep the same way Henry does.  We just wait for warmer weather in spring.”

“Did someone say spring?”  Boone yawns.

Pip turns, “Boone!  You’re awake!”

“Mostly,”. Boone says.  “I nap a lot in winter, not hibernate.”

Jasper waddles over, “I nap whenever I feel like it.”

“And, you?”  Henry asks Pip and Mia.

Pip twitches her whiskers, “I do sleep more, and try to stay warm.  Oh.  I also store more food.”

Mia adds, “I fluff up my feathers for warmth, and eat more berries.”

Henry smiles, “See?  Everyone has a winter routine.”

Pip’s ears perk up, “Henry, will we see you on Groundhog Day?”

“Maybe,” Henry blinks.

“And, will you look for your shadow?” Mia asks.

Henry chuckles, “That’s a fun story, not a rule.  I wake up when the temperatures are warmer, the days are getting longer, and the earth feels right.”

Oliver adds, “Temperature matters most for me.”

“Smell helps too,” Boone sniffs the air.

Henry starts back to his burrow, “I should go back to sleep.  Hibernation is not finished yet.”

Pip waves, “Sweet dreams, Henry.”

Mia adds, “Come see us when you wake up.”

Oliver’s voice fades, “Back to brumating.”

Boone stretches, “I think I could sleep some more too.  Time for a nap.”

“Do you hear that?” Pip asks Mia.

Mia nods, “It’s the quiet of winter. Let’s go home.  Spring will arrive soon enough.”