Steve`s Country
For a smile as wide as a country sunrise
Steve’s Country Cabin Journal #8.
Hello everyone and welcome back to another entry in my journal. I decided to do something different for a change…
I had often walked down this one trail by a lake during the day, but I wanted to try it at night to see what I might find. It was a nice warm summer night, there was nearly a full moon, a perfect time for my midnight walk. I got my stuff together and off I went. This was a time when I wasn’t so good at telling people where I was going or what I was doing, how long I would be away, those sorts of things. Sometimes I preferred not telling people because they would worry too much. This wasn’t the first time being out at night by myself, but the first time on that particular trail. It was a beautiful night, the moon shining so brightly through the trees casting long scary shadows through the forest. The only sound was me walking along the trail.
I stopped regularly to listen…listen to the quietness of a forest night. On one stop I heard something along the shore of the lake. I looked carefully but couldn’t see anything. I moved in a little closer. Suddenly a loud “smack”! I think I must have jumped 2 feet in the air! It was only a beaver slapping his tail on the water. But it was so loud. They really know how to do that very well and I guess I was getting a little too close. It got me laughing afterward, especially since I had heard that tail smacking many times before, but always during the day. It’s a little different at night when you’re all alone. Well, that’s it for this spot so I kept on going, quietly scrunching my way through the forest. I stopped again.
Thought I heard something farther in among the trees. I looked all around but couldn’t see anything. Hmm, I wonder, I started doing some owl calls. After a few minutes I gave up, obviously nothing around. I kept on walking and started going up a rocky hill. I stopped again. Almost sounded like some kind of grunting sound. But when I stopped, there was nothing. Probably a deer hiding in those crazy long shadows. Certainly wouldn’t be hard to do I’m sure. I keep on going and stop again after about 10 minutes for some more owl calling. Hey, I got an answer that time, a great horned owl! I call again, he answers. Then I hear something in the pine tree next to me.
The owl had landed on a branch no more than 6 feet above me. The moonlight was shining on him so nicely too. Then a second one came in and landed on a branch next to him. Now that is fantastic, what a beautiful sight. I don’t think they were as impressed as I was however. I didn’t bother calling anymore when they were so close. Owls can be quite aggressive when defending their territories. After a few minutes they decided I wasn’t very exciting so they both flew off. I kept on going and shortly the trail turned and went back to the beginning where I had left my car. I didn’t see anything else. But on two more occasions I had stopped and listened. I was so sure I had heard some grunting noises, but was never able to see what it was. It always left me wondering.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this little walk with me. It’s too bad I couldn’t have gotten a picture of those owls though, but it was something I won’t forget. Have a wonderful day everyone, and God bless!
Steve and Muffin.
©2020 Steve McLeod.
I would not want to get slapped by one of those Beaver tails, lol. I can only imagine how it would feel.
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Their tails are hard and they can slap very hard too!😳😂😹
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Walking into the forest at midnight…nope…definitely not for me 🤪
Luckily you did not have any strange and close encounters 🙈
Beautiful photos of the moon though 🌑
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With all the animals around it’s not really the best thing to do alone, but no one else wanted to do it. Strange.🤔🙄
2 things I kept thinking about, bears and skunks, 2 animals I did not want to meet at all!🐻🦨
Thanks Ribana!😀😺🌙
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Yes…I’m wondering why no one else wanted to do it 🤔
Skunks are cute though 🤪 🦨
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Yes, skunks are cute…but…I still wouldn’t want to meet one!😲🦨
No one else is as crazy as me.🤪 I have never been able to find someone to go walking/hiking during the day, let alone at night.🙄🚶♂️🚶♂️ Except my dad. I have never had a friend who liked the outdoors. Very strange.😳😂😹
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Oh that’s very strange indeed! Why no one will want to walk outdoors? Of course not during midnight ☺️ Nature is so gorgeous!
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Most people it seems just think that going for a walk is a waste of time and boring. I mentioned to a friend one time about going for a short half day hike, he nearly fainted, “half a day in the forest?” He considered that the most boring idea ever!😂😹🌳🚶♂️🚶♂️
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You are way too brave! Don’t think I could have been walking at night with bears all around! 🐓🍗 🐻 👻💀😹
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I didn’t see any bears.😬🐻 Yes, walking around like that at midnight is not the best idea to do alone.🙄😳 But I couldn’t find anyone crazy enough to join me!😂😹
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I’m sure if I had went for a midnight stroll, every bear in the neighborhood would have been there! 😹😹😹🙀
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Well, they may have been watching me, but stayed hidden.🐻 And perhaps my owl calls scared them away.😳🐻🦉 Or perhaps got them laughing so hard they couldn’t do anything.😂😂😹😹
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Now you got me with a mental picture of those bears rolling around on the ground, trying hard not to laugh out loud! 😹😹 That just may have been a snort you heard instead of a grunt! 😹 And to have seen the ‘HOLY COW’ look on those two owls’ faces when they flew down to discover you! Oh my stars!!! 👨👀🦉=😹😹😹
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So glad you enjoyed that Renee!
Mr Owl=what is it?
Mrs Owl=ugliest owl I ever saw, doesn’t even have feathers.
Mr Owl=probably can’t fly either
Mrs Owl=we better leave, it might eat us.
Have a great day Renee!😂😹🌞☕☕
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You’re a brave soul, Steve! These days, I would worry more about who’s in the forest than what’s in the forest. 😱👻👽👹😬
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Yes, that’s true, but where I was walking you wouldn’t find people, too far in nowhere land!😁😹🙄🌙
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Hello Steve ! I wish you a very nice week-end 🙂
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Bonjour francefougere! I hope you also have a nice weekend. Thank you so much for being here, always nice to see you!😀😺
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