Down Country Paths. #3

Welcome back everyone! So nice to have you with us again today. Hmm, let me see, here it is, Journal #1. Now to see what we have for us today. As you know, in this post each Saturday we look at something from my past to share with you. It might be fairly recent, or years ago. Today it goes back quite a few years. It was a cool, though mainly sunny day in July. Today is also cool, but mainly cloudy.

Anyway, I decided to go on a short hike in an area where I had not been before. This time I actually remembered to tell someone where I would be going and approximately when I would be home. Yes, I agree, that was quite amazing, too bad it did not continue on a regular basis. I left early in the morning and drove to my favorite restaurant for breakfast.

Male Canada Warbler.

There was no one else in the restaurant, so the waitress sat down with me to talk. I then continued to drive to the spot. I parked the car and began my little hike down what was once a road of some kind, but now was barely visible in places. I just wanted to see where it went. I get curious sometimes. After about 30 minutes the road disappeared under the water of a beaver pond. I kept walking.

The water was not deep anyway and it was not long and I was on the other side, with wet feet. Oh well. At this spot I saw a Canada Warbler, a very small but brightly colored bird. A little further on I heard some noise on the road ahead of me. There were so many small willows, alders and aspens growing up on that road it was hard to see very far ahead.

White-tailed Deer, buck, growing new antlers.

I tried not to make any noise myself as I moved along slowly, hoping to see what was ahead of me. I was hoping it was not a bear. Finally I saw it, a White-tailed Deer, a buck with new antlers growing nicely. I tried to get closer but I stepped on a stick that snapped. Rather loudly. The deer ran off into the trees not to be seen again. Sigh. At this point there was a nasty deer fly that was determined to take some of my blood.

After a few unsuccessful attempts to swat the fly, a dragonfly came swooping in and grabbed it, sitting down on a branch to enjoy it’s meal. I always enjoy having dragonflies around me when I am out walking, they do not often miss, unlike me. It was a Common Whitetail, female, that helped me out that time. I saw another dragonfly too, but it would not sit down anywhere, so I was unable to identify it.

Female Common Whitetail dragonfly.

Further on down the road there was a loud crashing through the underbrush and two squirrels came running across the road just ahead of me. Amazing how such small creatures can make so much noise. One of them stopped on the other side of the road and began chattering. The other one climbed a tree and chattered back. I guess the road was kind of a boundary between their territories.

I tossed a piece of a cookie to the winner of the chase and he quickly ate it. The road began going uphill now, quite steep actually. At the top of the hill the road turned to the right and… it disappeared completely. Which means that was the end of it, but why? There was nothing there, no evidence of anyone living there in the past, no evidence of work being done in the area and I walked all over the area just to make sure.

Scramble, my Red Squirrel friend, along the path to the river.

Oh well, I stopped there to eat my lunch under some beautiful Jack Pines. Oddly, there were no squirrels present. It had also gotten cloudy now and it felt very cool, especially since it had also gotten very windy. I decided to head back quickly. It began to rain a bit before I got to the beaver pond. It was not supposed to rain, it was supposed to be sunny, sigh. I did have my jacket which kept me from getting wet.

Then there was the beaver pond which I began walking across. I forgot to mention there was a small wood bridge over a stream, but the bridge was solid. However, I was on the other side of the bridge this time. It was not so solid and my foot went through causing me to fall slightly, landing on my knees. Not too bad really. I had extra jeans with me anyway, something I learned a long time ago when hiking with Dad.

Oh well, it was a nice short hike even though I did not discover what the road was all about. But I did enjoy myself so that made it worthwhile. It is always good to get out and enjoy the quiet solitude of the forest. Thank you for stopping by today, have a wonderful weekend and God bless!

Steve and Muffin. (the photos today are not from that hike)

©2023 Steve McLeod.