The Wander-er

 I have a lot of catching up to do. 

This week we had ice on Monday, snow and sleet on Wednesday. Charlie and I headed out in the morning to visit the Forest/Rock Garden. I've finally figured out that this little place is perfect for tall shade plants, but it takes a lot of work

The old Christmas Chair. I may decide to bring that back to the house for next year. The seat is split and it is very weathered, just how I like it. Right now, it is on a tiny rock bluff that overlooks the neighbor's woods west of us.

The photo below is of the Buckthorn Woods. The trees are horrible and invasive, but have been there for nearly 20 years or so. The deer love being in there. I put my trail camera back up after having it in another spot for the last few months.
It generally picks up deer napping right in front of the camera. The trail here is used by all woodland creatures.

Our neighbor and plow guy came Thursday morning and cleaned up our place. He sent another fella out to sand our hill and in front of the house. I am grateful that he agreed to plow for us this winter. It sure took a lot of worry off my mind. 

Charlie and I headed out for a mile walk. For a little dog, he has a lot of energy that needs to be spent. I'm trying to keep track of how far I hike right now just out of curiosity.

This particular day, I only hiked one mile of hills and the creek. The snow was soft and mushy and would have clumped up in ice chunks under my snowshoes. The workout was worth the effort.

Now I'm trying something a bit different and I am not exactly sure if this is the best method. I need to know from the readers if this is interesting or not....
this ends up being something like 23 seconds. It is sort of fun and funky.
I downloaded a trial of Corel Video Studio after trying several time to get MovieMaker from Microsoft which used to be free. 
Now they want a monthly fee or yearly fee. 

I have been taking a few more videos with my Olympus camera and thought this might work for mixing panorama videos of areas with some photos. Meh. I'm not too sure about it.

I don't always want to watch a video when reading blogs, but this seems to be the new-ish trend. I can see where learning the program could be fun with more creative ideas.

I did a lot more Wandering this week. I hiked back to the Lost Valley, Hidden Valley, or The Back Valley which is a 3 mile snowshoe trek on Friday. I haven't been back there in over a year.

That was a neat discovering adventure. Saturday I wandered the west bank of the Kickapoo River and found some amazing sites.

Those updates will come later. 

I am finding my winter groove in Exploring and it brings me so much peace.

Let me know how you feel about the vid. I have a LOT to learn, but during those long cold dreary days of winter, it could be a new creative skill to learn.

Have a Great Sunday.

Blasts of Colors

Fall.

[Designed with a photo of flowers and some 
artistic help from AI.]

I can never keep up when the colors start changing. I want to drop housework, chores, and everything just to spend the time outside looking for that amazing light and those colors of the trees and shrubs.

I get cranky and anxious, afraid that I will miss one beautiful red leaf dropping from the trees, or an afternoon golden glow in an old forest with little undergrowth.

I fear missing all those beautiful little fungi that seem to sprout up after a little rain. Or the incredible patterns of brightly colored leaves on the forest floor.

 

That first hard frost brings excitement and sadness. I want to see the frost on the petals of flowers and then I am sad when the flowers wilt by the end of the day. 

They talk about the Rite of Spring.

What should we call the Rite of Fall?

I found a quote that said "Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go."

True. But... I want Autumn to last more days. Is is too much to ask of the trees and the brush to turn more slowly and to hang on to their leaves longer? 

Is it too much to ask of Mother Nature to extend those golden days just a bit?

Come on Mom Nature! Give us more beautiful days of awesome-ness to stand in your fall beauty and stare in wonder!

Just give me some more time to explore your colors and your trails....

Please?

The above photos were all taken just walking around the forest near my house.

Enjoy.

Why do I walk the Woods?

I really wanted to be very clever and say something with deep inner meaning and thought.
I even read Rumi for some inspiration, but sadly, his words are not my words.

So instead I told my husband that I was going to wander down to the creek. I said something like "To check the trail camera." He looked at me and smiled. He was sitting and watching Netflix. I know he is in there and he smiles, but his face is innocent and almost blank.  He also knows that what I mean to say is:

"Hey honey, I'm going for a walk because I can't sit still."

He is much better now, not depressed but still the person I used to be with has become someone else. It isn't his fault. The brain won't work quite the way it used to.

I grab a copy of Mary Oliver's book "Felicity" and my camera. I say over my shoulder as I head out, "See you in a bit!"

He nods and turns back to the program he is watching.

Funny how he never watched TV and now that occupies his afternoon hours. I can't even drag him away from it unless I walk up and hit the pause button.

I clutch the book with me and wonder why I've brought it. Really? A poetry book?
And it could start to rain at any moment.

I shrug and head out across the soggy meadow, my feet going squish squish across the grass. Actually, the National Weather Service predicted 2 to 4 inches of rain again tonight. So I am worried about the desk and the bears. 

The camera bag bumps me as I negotiate the trail down the steep hill. I can hear water falling from the 'run' off to the left. But it is getting darker out so I won't explore all of what I want to. I'll save that for another day.
I have something important in mind, but the idea is not clear yet.

I get distracted and make a slight detour.

The light is fading so I work quickly. I know exactly what I want to 'shoot'. I carefully lay the book on top of the camera bag and take some shots.

I want to see how these areas will change after another flash flood.

I can hear water droplets falling out of the trees. My book has gotten water on it. I carefully wipe it off and continue downstream towards 'the beach'.

I pick a rock to take a shot on. I need to find a good spot to 'shoot' from now until Spring. I want to see how this looks in all seasons.

Well, that is not what I came for not really.

I stand up and hold the book in my hands.

There is the desk.
It is very heavy and shouldn't wash away, but I don't want it to get damaged.

So I move it.
I carefully set the Artist Conches that the kids had drawn on aside and put them inside the desk.

I move the desk up above the creek to where it will be safe.

Off in the distance I hear a rumble.

I wipe off the desk and sit down.

And I flip open the book.
I read:

A Voice from I Don't Know Where

It seems you love this world very much.
  "Yes," I said. "This is a beautiful world."

And you don't mind the mind, that keeps you
   busy all of the time with its dark and bright wonderings:
   "No I'm quite used to it. Busy, busy,
   all of the time."

And you don't mind living with those questions,
   I mean the hard ones, that no one can answer?
   "Actually, they're the most interesting."

And you have a person in your life whose hand
   you like to hold?
   "Yes I do."

It must surely, then, be very happy down there 
   in your heart.
   "Yes," I said. "It is."

~ Mary Oliver

I close the book.

I now know why I walked the woods today.

Wandering

It has been three days since I could go wandering. I couldn't mow any more yard and I was caught up on the housework.

Besides, out there somewhere...could be a morel mushroom just waiting to be picked.

So I wandered.

And found ...

I like wandering!
I got home just in time to do chores and make supper.

Out and About

Yesterday morning I felt like doing a quick look-see around what we call Tainter Land.
The roads in this particular area are all gravel and in such a deep valley that cell phones are totally worthless.
There is a certain appeal to no cell service right now.

Tainter Hollow Rd, Tainter Hollow East, Tainter Hollow West, and Tainter Road are the twisted lane and a half roads that wind through this particular area.

I knew that no spring plants would be evident, but I went to the Public Land anyway just to walk around.

The beavers have been busy again after the flood. They are rebuilding dams.

Near the edge of the road I found a deer carcass that someone had dumped. This happens often on the more secluded roads.
There is nearly no traffic on the Tainter roads as I think there are only 3 residential places.

The residential places are seasonal and one of them was flooded in 2016. I don't know if they ever came back.

The scenery is pretty typical for our area.
Creeks, streams, gravel roads, steep valleys, and ridge tops.

All within a few minutes drive.

The old timers who have lived here for generations don't build homes near dry runs or in steep valleys. Tainter Road is one example of the 'why'. It will get washed out at least once a year. The valley is so steep and the water rushes down the hillsides and across the roads.
Road destroyed until the township comes with gravel and replaces a road tube.

I stood on Tainter Road East and marveled at the flood debri still stuck in some of the trees above my head. I'm five foot three inches.

The day was dull and I'd taken about an hour of wandering around and simply enjoying the cold damp weather. So it was time to head home.

Things 'seen' on my way home.

I sure do love our back roads and try to take them to town when I am not in much of a hurry.

I think today is another day of errands and then I hope to spend at least one or two days at the farm. Hikes with Dixie and Charlie are surely in order.

The weather for the rest of the week will be a mixed bag. Heavy rains, thunderstorms, and then snow and sleet.

Welcome to April.