Beeee still my beating heart!

 

It was a balmy 20-ish degree F day or a -5ish C day so my Assistant thought we should go snowshoeing at the Reserve. Last week I slugged through the snow, so I decided to use the snowshoes once more. After all, it went so well the day before.

We had parked in a lot near the maintenance shed for the Kickapoo Valley Reserve to get on the trail head.

Charlie and I were trucking along, he was fresh and bouncy and stuck to the tracks someone made while x-country skiing. I broke trail off to the side. 

I heard machinery behind us and looked back. There was a 4 wheeler coming our way. I was a bit confused. In the winter the trail we were on is part of a snowmobile trail and in the summer, they mow through the prairie grasses. However, there is no motorized vehicles allowed at all on these trails.

The 4 wheeler had tracks on it instead of wheels and as the 4 wheeled gizmo pulled up to a stop, I recognized the smile on the dude. This time he wasn't in the Police Truck nor was he in uniform. 

"Hello Jesse," I said when Charlie ran up to him and tried to jump up on the 4 wheeler to hitch a ride. "How are you today?" 

"I'm good! How are you?" He motioned to the 4 wheeler and said, "I just finished putting snow tracks on this 4 wheeler for the winter and thought I'd try them out."

For a moment I was dumbstruck. 

"Wow, that looks like a fun transformation. I'll trade you for my 17 year old 4 wheeler at home." 

He laughed. And then we both stood quietly listening to the light breeze in the trees. 

"Gosh I love that sound," he said.

"Nothing like it," I agreed. "If I could be out in this 24 hrs a day, I would."

He nodded and then gestured towards my snowshoes. "I didn't think we had deep enough snow for those yet."

"Ahhh, we do. I have over 6 inches at home and had a blast yesterday snowshoeing through my woods. I thought the ice crust and the heavy snow would be perfect for snowshoeing along the trails today."

"So it is going good then?" 

[Oh that grin and smile. AND no, I couldn't see the color of his eyes because he had some rather cool shades on and I regretted not having cool shades on myself]

"Yes it is, I'm going to take a peek at the ice caves over the hill today. I intend to cover about 4 miles of hiking. It's a good day for it. Saturday will be awful."

He nodded and we both fell silent and watched Charlie who was trying to figure out how to climb up on the 4 wheeler for a ride. I walked over and picked him up. 

"Okay then. Have a great hike, " he said and started up his snow machine. 

I waved and turned to go with Charlie under my arm. 

I heard him head back down the trail and I started grinning like an idiot. "Charlie, Charlie, was that a coincidence? It had to be. Dang, he is still quite handsome." 

I laughed out loud and thought of how I'd have told Rich about this. Rich would just laugh and remind me that HE was the absolute best-est handsome-ist man I'd ever met. And I would agree with all my heart.

I did note on the card that he'd given me last Friday that he was a Land Manager and Police Officer for the Reserve. That made sense. Still. I felt a bit girlish and atwitter. 
Maybe it was just nice that he recognized me from last week and that he thought he'd better check on that crazy -a$$ed old lady and her dog that liked to wander the Reserve in the winter.

I tossed tall dark and handsome out of my head and continued on my trek.

I walked for a mile into the woods looking for the blue tags that used to mark the 'winter trail' to The Valley of Ice. But those are no longer in existence. The previous management had markers on trees to guide people to find the ice caves aka rock shelters.

I'd been there often enough that I knew how to come through the forest right on top of cave #1. So we backtracked to the old Cedar tree and headed down the steep hill. I paused for a bit as I watched a coyote run out of the shelter and head towards the river.

I'm always mindful that I am hiking in wild animal habitat. I wasn't afraid. I just carefully picked my way down to where I could peer into Number One. This is the same cave/shelter that I met my good friend Jason the Geologist on a New Years Eve of 2021.

I didn't see any evidence of the coyote making a den in there, but there was an ice curtain forming.

I went back up to the very old equine trail above the cave and followed it around to cave #2. I peered down and decided not to climb over all the downed trees this trip. I skipped cave #3. It isn't well known and isn't on the map. 

We weren't worn out or even cold at this point so we went past the maintenance shed and hiked down to Bridge 18 which is a covered bridge over the river.

I'd wanted to get a 'snow' shot of the hand-hewn bench with the covered bridge behind it. 

It is now the cover of my blogger header.

We went up on the bridge and checked the views of the river. 

I am just a curious person. I love to watch the river as it changes through the winter months. I like to see how different the forest looks in the stark landscape compared to the lush greens of summer.

I probably take shots of this area every time I hike or bike through it.

Charlie and I found a nice dry spot out of the light breeze to sit and have snacks. He had dog treats, I had an energy bar.

The temps were dropping as we hiked back up to the ridge and to the parking area. It was a good day. 

Rest is nice....

 Almost a full moon!

And love is in the air!!!!

In fact, love is in the air so much, that he jumped the hot wire after the doe did and....he ended up chasing her through our front pasture and beyond the forest to the west.

Cold frosty mornings bring out the Rut Season and the bucks become mate happy. They can't help it. But it sure is fun to watch.

I stood behind a tree [wearing insulated coveralls, little gloves, hat, and insulated boots for about 40 minutes in the dark waiting for the first light.

I was rewarded with the following views.

I do this right up to the start of gun season in the early mornings and late afternoons. It is my quiet time, where I can sit or stand still and just be...

and watch wildlife....

Coyote visitor to our side/front yard while I was up at the neighbor's shooting the Northern Lights.

Back again...I wonder what attracts them?

However, it seems they don't go into the pasture as the mules would not tolerate their presence.

And then off again a couple of nights later. I changed the location of the camera and set it to a 10 second video along with 3 shots.

We'll see what the coyote is up to perhaps from a different angle. In truth, our land is 1/4 mile long but it is 500 deep wide. 

So they could just be going from the woods to the east to the woods to the west. Rarely do they track through the area where the girls are. The mules chase them and if they caught them, they could very well kill them.

~~~~~~

We've had 3 nights with temps below freezing so the hard frosts are here to stay at least until tomorrow. But the flowers are done, the leaves are dull, and the winds are picking up to blow them away.

Oh Fall Beauty, you were so fleeting but enjoyable!

I got cold!

I totally misjudged the temperatures last night! 

When I left home it was 60 degrees. I was warm and toasty. When I arrived at the Reserve, it was 50. I'd only brought a light sweatshirt and a windbreaker. 

Note to self. Next time, add some jackets to a bag and leave it in the back of the Subaru. I thought I was getting good at figuring the weather out. Obviously, I forgot it was October.

I did get there just before sundown and enjoyed watching the sky and listening to Red Wing Blackbirds as they settled into the branches around me on their migration route. I didn't get any photos of them, but I could identify them by their song and the songs of Robins too.

Just as the sun dropped another flock of Canada Geese went overhead to the east. I think I was enjoying the sounds and songs of the birds more than anything else. 

To stay warm, I hiked around the pond trails and finally settled on a spot to watch the moon come up. I had 20 minutes to wait for moonrise and at least another 10 minutes before it would appear over the bluff to the east.

As the light faded, I watched some beavers -- or muskrats -- swimming in the east side pond. I think it would have been beavers because when they swam closer to where I was standing, they alarmed by slapping their tails against the water.

Oh, the sounds of nature when you can be right in it!

When I got to Bridge 18 I stopped to glance at the moon on the river. It was so beautiful. It seemed to glow orange.

I wanted to stay longer but my hands were freezing.

And as I put away my camera I heard a Hoot Owl calling out. I smiled, I love the sound of those owls.

Then I heard a blood curdling screech. I actually stopped a moment because it did actually sound like a scream.

It raised the hair on the back of my neck until I recognized the call of a Barn Owl. Yes, they do screech and it sounds pretty awful at first.

Another terrifying night sound is a fox screaming. But I haven't heard that in a long time. I did hear the coyotes calling out to each other when I reached the car.

It seems that all the creatures were enjoying the beautiful moonlight with me.

Enough about my night time wanderings.

Looks like the weather will change for the cooler and perhaps I'll be smarter about what I wear!

The Subaru said it was 39 degrees when I left for home. 

Wild Wild World

Heh. Not the internet either. Outside is the wild world.

First two photos that I actually did take a week ago while I was out looking for cool lichen or moss and checking for the first sign of a wildflower.

Next are some shots from my very old trail cam. It still works but only shoots in black and white. The night shots are not super clear. Oh and the AM and PM were switched. I had forgotten to set it properly after replacing the dead batteries.

Our resident Bobcat. I've seen this or one like it on and off for more than a year and only glimpse crappy shots of it moving through camera range. When I posted a photo of it on FB I was sent messages of alarm from well meaning friends. 

Despite their reputation, they rarely will eat pets. The trail cam shows many rabbits, raccoon, squirrels, and birds that are in this area. I mean this spot in my woods is the virtual highway of wildlife.

The deer love to take naps here as well as play.

And then there were these guys/gals walking on through.
[Funny shots I did not include are the shot of a doe doing her peeing in front of the camera. Then later on? A coyote smelling it and marking the same spot! Pee Mail anyone?]

This last wild beast is Charlie.
No wonder his nose is working overtime when we walk through the woods!

On the other side of the Buckthorn Forest I set up a newer camera thinking I'd see the deer as they came in from the large meadow. I was surprised!

Here are the Tom Turkeys that I photographed last week fighting and probably the same ones that we saw in the back woods while I was riding Sunshine.

Now...If I can move my camera to a likely spot where the resident bear may wander through if he/she is still around.

Bobcat last June

Face to Face

Charlie begged me to go as I tossed on my coveralls. I knew I should wear snowshoes but...

I knew Charlie should stay home
but...

I'm not always smart, see? I thought I would just take a short hike and walk in my tracks from last week. Charlie would be fine. Really he would. I pointed at him with a mittened hand. "I am not carrying you! So don't ask. You can do this right?"

He gave me that adorable look that I cannot refuse. 

Of course!

We made it to the creek bank and just as we were going to drop down about 20 feet into the creek, Charlie started to shake like a leaf and he tried to climb my coveralls. I reached down and scooped him up. 

I looked over to the fenceline that marks the end of my land and the start of Gary's land. Both ponds and the tiny falls were frozen solid. I wanted to climb down there and take a look.

Around the huge roots of the old cottonwood tree and rocks came a large coyote. He/she stood and stared at me. 
Well now. I knew it was breeding season and I know coyotes will grab a dog in their territory. They are much more aggressive towards dogs during their mating season. 

In the blink of an eye the 'yote turned and disappeared upstream. Of course, it made sense. The snow is less deep along the creek the frozen water makes for a great trail.

I fired a warning shot with my pistol and saw the 'yote bound eastward and up through the woods.

I set Charlie down and he had none of it. Nope. He was going to climb up my leg no matter what. 

Coyotes and Gunshots! Are You Kidding Me?

"Charlie, you chose to come along. I told you that you would be snow swimming." 

I watched for a bit and then we dropped into the creek. I hobbled along with a long dog clutched in my arms and trudged through the snow. I berated myself a bit in not wearing snowshoes and bringing Charlie. However the poor guy hadn't gone on a walk for nearly a week. 

I put him down again so he could follow my tracks over the ice and snow while I negotiated some tricky footing.

"No Charlie, you said you'd be good. Oh poor Charlie, you are shaking!"

Well, at least this time he wasn't off and running trying to find every smell and dig out any suspect voles under the snow. He was a cling-on. 

Our hike was extremely slow with me picking him up whenever the footing was good. 

I sat for a bit on a boulder and pulled dog treats out of my pocket. Poor fella was still pretty nervous. Dog treats always make things better. 

We made the trek to the other end of the creek and headed up the forest trail. I kept carrying Charlie and plunging through the deep snow. Each step reminded me of why I should have put on my snowshoes and why I should have left my dog at home.

"Cardio work out Charlie!" I said as we climbed the steep hill. "This is a good one!" It was hard. 

We got to the meadow and Charlie found a well trodden deer trail. He raced ahead while I admired the wispy clouds in the sky.

We approached the house and Charlie raced like the dickens to the porch and sat at the door until I arrived. I cracked open the door. Charlie sped through without a backward glance leapt onto the couch, and promptly laid down with a sigh.

Dismissed, human.

Froufrou Doggy?

Thursday afternoon I gathered a few items together and stuck them in a backpack. My goal had been to get back to the Kickapoo Valley Reserve for working on some of those trails in the Trail Challenge. I'd given up hope on completing that after my MIL's hospitalization, rehab, and return to her apartment.

Between her and Rich I had nearly a full time job going on and had no real breaks other than walks around the farm with Charlie and Dixie.

Charlie started to eye me carefully as I put some trail mix into a snack bag and a few tiny dog treats. When I put on my gun belt and old coveralls he perked up his ears. I was under Charlie watch.

Even with the set back in the Trail Challenge, I didn't want to lose the strength in my legs from ... not hiking. Besides, it is so convenient to just walk out the door and go when you are surrounded by woods with little obscure trails. Hiking in cooler temperatures is just more pleasant.

"Where are you off to?" asked my husband. He was watching Netflix, sitting in the folding metal chair right next to the flat screen and the old computer that is hooked up to screen.

We'd finished up with his Telehealth appointment and he said he'd watch a show and then take his meds and a nap. He decided that it was too cold, muddy, windy, to take his walk... And.
I am not allowed to nag him, only ask once and then let it be. However I do repeat asking if he forgets his medication.

"Where are we off to?"
I looked down at Charlie.
"Adventure!" I said.
Normally I have a route planned out for one of our little walks, but this time I didn't.
"Adventure?"

"Yes, Charlie and I are going and I'm not exactly sure, but we may go the the Back Valley."  There, at least I did have an idea of a goal.

"Okay." My husband frowns and looks at Charlie. "Think he can make that hike?"

"Well," I answer, "I guess we will find out. Besides, he will let me know if he wishes to 'get a lift'."

I check my .22 pistol and decide that it really does need a good cleaning again. I check the safety and put it in the holster.

Charlie and I depart and head up the trail that the bulldozer man had made for us. Down into the creek we go, cross it and head up the other steep hillside.
Charlie is happy. His nose is working overtime and he darts back and forth, then runs ahead and stops to check on me.

I haven't brought my DSLR camera. This is a hike, not a photo journey, though often I do combine the two. I just wanted to hike. The route I sort of had in mind would be about 3 miles with several steep hills.

We come out of the woods and skirt along some cropland. There are some guys who come out and hunt this area. I find a tree stand on the fence line to our property and it annoys me as it is set up to point into my wooded area. I sigh and move on. I find another one perched on my neighbor's fenceline along the snowmobile trail along with a trail camera. I've cut across about 30 feet of this other person's land and get caught on the camera.
I stop and wave at the camera and then move on. [This is the only person in our area that has not been a very good neighbor...he doesn't live on the cropland but considers it and anything around his fence to be 'his'. I'm sure we all know folks like that.]

Charlie is happy to bounce and run along the deer trail on the snow mobile trail. He dodges the tall grass and stops to the smell scat of every critter that has passed through.

Charlie and I cross the ridge and stay alongside the woods, the wind is cold but refreshing. We dip down on an old obscure logging trail that hasn't been used in 13 years. This is one of those places that opens up into an old forest stand that is not been over run with brush.

Those spots of yellow are not leaves from the trees above, but thousands of seedling trees sprouting up.

We head down the hill towards the stream in the back valley when we hear sirens. The highway is about 3/4 of a mile below us and the way the land lies in the spot we were in...the highway sounds echo up between the hills.
Charlie stops and puts his paws on my leg. I find a log and sit down so he can sit in my lap.

He scrambles up and listens to the sirens with me.

As the sirens start to fade, another eerie sound bounces off the hillsides. This sound makes me feel a bit chilled.

Coyotes voices drift up to us from below. It sounds as though dozens of them are calling and sounding off for a hunt. Charlie shivers and looks at me. I check my pistol and it is there. The sounds of those voices chill me too.
During the coyote mating season, I don't walk with any dogs as the 'yotes tend to be territorial and I've had two dogs stalked while I've hiked with them in years past.


Eventually they quiet down and I set off with Charlie again, though I've changed our route. We won't go into the back valley we will stay above it. I walk with Charlie's cord in my hand and he goes back to smelling everything he can.

[It dawns on me a bit later that the coyote howling was probably in response to the sirens from the emergency vehicles.]

I finally stop at the place I refer to as the Overlook. It is a point of land that overlooks the valley. It is a rock outcropping high above the valley. I sit on a log and we have our snacks. Charlie has forgotten the eerie noises and is enchanted by having a dog treat way out in the woods.

The drop off is just beyond those ferns. The trees to the left hang on rocks.

We spend a bit of time just sitting there and enjoying the sounds of the woods around us.

I keep a hand on Charlie's cord as we negotiate the deer trails and climb past The Ice Cave. I can see that something has used the structure to eat small animals. Little piles of fur are matted against the sandstone bottom.

We climb out of the woods and hike through the tall grasses. Charlie leaps and jumps and I finally drop the cord and follow him. I decide to take a different way home and we go through another steep rocky dry run.

We get to the creek that leads back to our property but I decide to cross it instead of following it back to our bulldozed trail.

The water is up with all the rain we've had. The ground is so saturated that any amount of rain is cause for a flash flood.
Charlie charges through the cold water.

I want to see how the snowshoe trail I have used over the years faired over the summer and all of the wind storms...

The trail is still there but several trees have come down and I have to reroute through berry briers and multiflora rose.
I'll have to use the machete to clear a few areas or just use the trail that the 4 wheelers had left.

We come to the Merry Meadow where our 'herd' used to graze until November. It is overgrown now but we use an old cow/horse/mule/donkey/deer trail to hike back to our gate.

Charlie runs willy nilly, bouncing along in only a way he can do it.

When we get to the house he greets Rich with enthusiasm after I towel him off and remove his cord.
He promptly jumps on the couch and falls asleep.

Someone told me I had a Froufrou doggy.
I don't think so. I think he believes he is just a tough little hound.

Mr. Morris scares the crap out of me

In the interest of not struggling through my 'point' trail with friends on a night hike, I set out yesterday with my machete and some trail tacks that are simply tacks with a reflective coating on their heads.

Mr. Morris was nagging me and it was about time for his new routine of the 3pm walk. I grabbed a leash and decided to see if he'd come along.
Indeed he did.
The cold air didn't seem to bother him a bit. He ran around the meadow, sniffing everything he could. I'd have to call and wave to him so he could catch up. He bounded past me and down an old mule trail avoiding the long grasses.

The meadow can be pretty even in its winter doldrums.

The Mr. Morris sure enjoyed it.

He hesitated when I dove into the woods on the old cow path that is mostly used by deer now. In places trees have come down and multi flora rose bushes have grown up.

Over the years the deer and I adjust to different obstacles to get up and down the steep hillside. Last winter the first time I used this 'trail' at night to bring along my hiking buddy, I got sidetracked. There wasn't enough snow to show a good trail and everything looked similar in the headlamp.

Where the trail went straight, it now zagged around a nasty deadfall.  So I marked the tree with a little tack and used the machete to clear the debris above my head. I normally just duck while going through, but I know that one of the hikers that will go with me later this month is much taller than I am.
Mr. Morris stopped and then backed away. I stopped what I was doing and explained to him what was going on.

He was not impressed, but he gave me a glance and walked past me. He eyed the machete.

I marked the next tree where the path made a 90 degree turn. I freshened the small marks I'd made a couple of years ago.
Morris either walked ahead or followed, stopping to smell things and be just like the normal Morris I've always known.

I stopped marking just above the creek. I could see the Mountain Dew can that hung on a branch further down. I wouldn't mark all the way down to there but set a reflective tack up on a stump so a headlamp would catch it from the Dew Can.

I dropped the box of tacks and bent down to pick them up. I realized that I didn't hear Morris's jingling tags.

I turned around.
He was gone.
I called.
Nothing.
I called louder and heard my voice echo off the valley walls.

Okay. Either Morris wandered off, or decided he'd had enough of hiking. We were actually pretty far from home and it was getting colder down near the creek.
Damn.
"MORRISSSSSS"
Yes, there was a bit of panic in my voice.
I should have leashed him.
Dang it.
I called and called.

Then I stopped. I looked down in the dusting of snow and found some tracks. They were his, but they went in circles and back and forth then off into the leaves on the forest floor.

I stood for a moment.  Did he go home? It would only get colder, so I turned and climbed quickly up the hillside trail. My clearing and marking sure made it much easier, plus my feet had disturbed the leaves and the light dusting of snow.

I got to the meadow. Tall grass. Morris doesn't like tall grass. He'd follow a trail. Those trails had a dusting of snow.
I searched and found his tracks heading towards home. At least I hoped they were. I lost them several times and found them again.

Then they were gone.
However I know that Morris has traveled this way for nearly 14 years and he seemed to know the way home better than I did!

Please Morris. Be home.
Be home so I can be angry with you for causing me this anxiety.

Because if you are not.
I had a headlamp with new batteries in it. I would search and call. I couldn't bear the thought of him being out in 'the wild' on his own. Not with all of the coyotes that hunted at night.
Coyotes. Little dog, nasty coyotes.

I hurried and then ran.

When I walked towards the house Mr. Morris was sitting in the sun behind Rich's truck. He finally noticed me and casually trotted up to me and then walked over to the porch, as if to say.
"My how I had to wait for you! You are so slow! Please let me in so you can feed me."

Did I ever say how punctual he has gotten lately for his feed times??

Morris. He wagged his tail as if our hike was just another successful journey

I was happy. He was happy.
The old dog does know his way home. But he won't be going with me on any hikes again soon.
We will be back to leashes and trails, not wild wood hikes.