Room with a View

My house is at the very top of an old volcano which is now called Aubrey Butte. My bedroom window covers the entire northeast wall of my room. The view outside my window changes from season to season. From my window you can see a lot of pines trees, and a few juniper trees. There are a lot of rocks that are left over from the volcano exploding millions of years ago. In the fall the ground is covered in pine needles which are slippery when it rains. Pine cones fall on the ground like acorns do in the spring. You can here them coming from way up high in the pine trees. All over bend they fall. During cross country practice when we would stretch in the park we would all cover our heads when we heard them coming. The tiny juniper tree outside my window was planted when we moved into the house 13 years ago. Juniper trees grow incredibly slow so the tree seems only slightly bigger than it did many years ago. I have grown taller in those 13 years. When the snow arrives it covers all the rocks, in a blanket of white. The snow makes everything look soft and comforting as if I could throw myself out of my window and land without pain. The snow makes everything the same color. When the sun peeks out from the clouds the snow sparkles and wakes me up if its early in the morning. When the snow begins to melt and then the winter night freezes the snow again icicles form outside my window. When I sleep I can hear the water dripping off the icicles. When the snow melts which actually occurs in late may the plants my mother plants finally have a chance to grow and turn green. The oak leaf hydrangea right under my window turns green and the white flowers bloom. Sometimes I forget those flowers are there and I love being surprised when I open my window and see the tops of the blooms. The summer months bring me blue skies and green plants. Quail families scurry past and the squirrels wait under the bird feeder waiting for birds to scatter birdseed on the ground. My sister runs past with her dog as they go for their morning walk. The juniper tree, not even an inch taller stands in the sunlight and when I go outside I can touch the top of the tree knowing that someday, it will be taller than me.