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chelidonI had an excellent long hike today in the woods and mountains behind our house. I followed the largest stream back into the mountains, and got some pictures I'm happy with-- starting here or via the index here (new pics starting at the bottom of page 1). It's hard to take a bad picture of that stream, and I had a good time trying something new and focusing on the old stone walls and occasional rough stone cellars, shelters and foundations that you tend to find back in the woods around here.
I found some interesting tracks this time around-- not only deer and the large feline I've seen several times before (bobcat or even lynx, possibly?), but this, which I suspect is either a fairly rare fisher cat or a wolverine. I've seen what I believe is a fisher cat crossing the road at night, so I know they're around here.
One nifty thing is that after a year and a half of wandering around the woods out here, I now recognize subtle landmarks and know where I'm at even before I'm conscious that I do. I don't usually need a compass or to watch the sun to know how to get where I'm going, as opposed to the first several long hikes I took cross-country around here, where despite looking at topo maps ahead of time and being an experienced cross-country hiker, I invariably got turned around 180 degrees from where I thought I was heading any number of times. The land here is very, very trixy, moreso than most any other place I've been, and it's not particularly fond of people in general. I've done some work around being a caretaker of this land, made some pacts and agreements. There's a long lifetime for me ahead of putting down roots (I hope), but I'm starting to learn the land, and I'd like to think the land is starting to learn me too, at least as much as it cares to. I'm dedicated to giving us time to get introduced to one another slowly over the years, and allowing as much time as it takes.
A high-adrenaline moment today was having both of my feet suddenly drop through a thinner-than-usual section of ice and into the middle of the stream while taking a picture. I was gratified and very, very grateful that my reflexes are still pretty good, or at least good enough to somehow levitate me over to the stream bank without the just-above-freezing water even having time to work its way into my boots, which would have ended my hike pretty quickly. Last year, I had to pull a pair of runaway Golden Retrievers out of the stream where they'd gone to drink and fallen through the ice (just happend to be there at that moment in time, lucky thing) Okay, I'll allow another week or two of cold weather before I try *that* again. Once things are well-frozen-over, though, it is much fun to snowshoe down the stream.
I definitely need to allow myself more wander-in-the-wild time. I have zero excuses...it's just out the front door. But it's too easy to get tied up in work and computer-related stuff. Definitely need to set aside more self-care time.
I found some interesting tracks this time around-- not only deer and the large feline I've seen several times before (bobcat or even lynx, possibly?), but this, which I suspect is either a fairly rare fisher cat or a wolverine. I've seen what I believe is a fisher cat crossing the road at night, so I know they're around here.
One nifty thing is that after a year and a half of wandering around the woods out here, I now recognize subtle landmarks and know where I'm at even before I'm conscious that I do. I don't usually need a compass or to watch the sun to know how to get where I'm going, as opposed to the first several long hikes I took cross-country around here, where despite looking at topo maps ahead of time and being an experienced cross-country hiker, I invariably got turned around 180 degrees from where I thought I was heading any number of times. The land here is very, very trixy, moreso than most any other place I've been, and it's not particularly fond of people in general. I've done some work around being a caretaker of this land, made some pacts and agreements. There's a long lifetime for me ahead of putting down roots (I hope), but I'm starting to learn the land, and I'd like to think the land is starting to learn me too, at least as much as it cares to. I'm dedicated to giving us time to get introduced to one another slowly over the years, and allowing as much time as it takes.
A high-adrenaline moment today was having both of my feet suddenly drop through a thinner-than-usual section of ice and into the middle of the stream while taking a picture. I was gratified and very, very grateful that my reflexes are still pretty good, or at least good enough to somehow levitate me over to the stream bank without the just-above-freezing water even having time to work its way into my boots, which would have ended my hike pretty quickly. Last year, I had to pull a pair of runaway Golden Retrievers out of the stream where they'd gone to drink and fallen through the ice (just happend to be there at that moment in time, lucky thing) Okay, I'll allow another week or two of cold weather before I try *that* again. Once things are well-frozen-over, though, it is much fun to snowshoe down the stream.
I definitely need to allow myself more wander-in-the-wild time. I have zero excuses...it's just out the front door. But it's too easy to get tied up in work and computer-related stuff. Definitely need to set aside more self-care time.
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no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 11:03 am (UTC)It's freezing here today. Am wondering if we're going to have snow.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 12:34 pm (UTC)We leave offerings of spare shoelaces and leather conditioner. ;>
So does snow mess things up there overmuch? When I was living more southerly, where snow is more occasional, it would snarl up the traffic for days when we got anything more than a dusting.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 02:25 pm (UTC)in the snow we grind to a hault. if snow is forecast the shops are rapidly emptied of food an panic ensues. Even a few inches of snow will bring the traffic to a halt. fortunately (or not since I like snow most of the time)it dosn't snow heavily in the south often.
last time we had a sinificant amount of snow was 2 years ago - the night we had to travel north to hand my thesis in. I spun the car 180 on a major motorway.... yikes they hadn't got round to putting grit down!
no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 06:42 pm (UTC)And then if it was a bad storm, the roads would be messy and many would be shut down for days, especially side roads. Better to stay home.
And I swear local schools would close if there was snow within 200 miles ;>
Needless to say, New England is very efficient at dealing with snow. They have these mega-plows that can, if needed, plow two road lanes at once (plow on the front + swing-out plow on the side), plus dump tons of salt and sand. Getting 10 inches here is better than 2 inches back in D.C...
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Date: 2005-01-18 08:33 pm (UTC)I Will Not Snicker. I Will Not Snicker. I Will Not Snicker....
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Date: 2005-01-18 08:41 pm (UTC)You know, it may not surprise you to know that I thought of that interpretation briefly at the time I wrote it, considered editing it, but then said, "nawwwww, nobody else but me will have such a wicked evil mind...."
I really shoulda known better ;>
no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 09:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 10:24 pm (UTC)hee hee.
no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 09:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-18 10:23 pm (UTC)I don't think I quite pack the gear, as it were, for Ms. Monroe. That would be my sister, Yasmeen, Stylish Flower of the Northern Desert, who is Donald Engstrom's illegitimate daughter.
Um, yeah, there's a story. No, I'm not gonna tell it now ;>
no subject
Date: 2005-01-19 01:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-19 01:59 pm (UTC)It must be the Mardi Gras beads ;>