Good morning everyone on this beautiful sunny Saturday! We did get some showers overnight so it’s a bit wet this morning, however we didn’t get much rain out of it, enough to wet the surface of the ground. The gulls were here nice and early for their breakfast and Jasper and Jasmine were also here, keeping the chipmunks away. Well, Jasmine kept them away, Jasper just moved off to the side so the chipmunks could get some peanuts too. He gave the customary few chips of protest, just to make it look like he was trying to do his job of chasing the chipmunks. Part of the wilderness solitude, right in town.

Like seeing that family of deer the other day, going about their lives, in town, like it was a normal thing to do. And it is for them. The mother was likely born and raised in town, she knows nothing of the wilderness living experience. Life is here, in town. Her fawns will be the same. Wilderness solitude right in town. My path to the river, in town but on the edge of town. True wilderness solitude. Walking that path is like walking way off in the forest, everything is true wilderness along that path. Let’s take a walk along that path for a bit this morning. We start off just across the street from where I live, well, about 2 lots down actually.

The path is about 6 feet (nearly 2 meters) wide. The grass grows tall at the beginning as we start our walk. We then pass an area that is usually quite wet, though it has been dry through here all year so far. This is an area of aspen, black spruce and balsam fir. Then the path begins to ascend a small hill, very easy walking. No more grass through here. It is now large red pine, some white pine, white spruce and balsam fir. A lot of fallen trees through this area, mostly balsam and spruce. Then comes a clearing with a hydro line going through here. A great place for wildflowers and berry bushes. The path is granite rock through this clearing.

Then back into an area of tall, large red pine and a few white pine, plus some white spruce, balsam and birch. Next comes our first descent of the path, going down a fairly steep section of the path, covered with boulders of many sizes. But the walking is still easy, going down, a little harder coming back up. All through this area are large red and white pines, plus white and black spruce and a few birch and aspen. This is where Scramble lives, my friendly squirrel. It doesn’t get much sunlight in here, the tall pines keep it shaded all the day. I call Scramble and he comes running along his “highway” of fallen trees and rocks. Wilderness solitude. Scramble sits on ‘his’ rock and eats his first peanut. The others he will carry away to his secret hiding spot. I better stop for today, but we will continue our walk to the river so you can see my path. I hope you all have a beautiful day and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

©2021 Steve McLeod.