a black friday walk in the woods

Yesterday, Kate and I decided to go for a walk.  How can you ever feel lonely in nature?  As soon as I topped butterfly hill looking down at the creek I noticed all of the activity going on.  Little wrens and winter birds fluttering everywhere.

I am not a fan of winter.  I have to approach it very carefully because I let it get the best of me sometimes.  I have to pick out the things that I like about it.  I like finding nests in trees and shrubs where winged families were raised over the summer.  I like wearing a coat at the beginning of our walk and halfway through removing it because I am burning up from trekking up and down hills.  I like taking a seat on the ground or a tree stump and just listening and looking at what's going on right outside my door.  I like being able to spot deer through the trees running from my presence in their world.

I also like to string white Christmas lights throughout my home for illumination because it gets dark so early.  I do leave them up past the holidays.  But what really gets me through the winter is knowing spring is right behind it.  And soon I will be mushroom hunting and spotting new blooms with every step of my world here.  It is a wonderful place.

Oh how the swimming hole changed from the last hurricane rain.  Maybe it will hold more water next summer!

The red bud pods look like fringe on this one.  How pretty!!

I was truly only gone about an hour and when I got back... Kitty had paid her rent.

early fall walk

A walk in our woods never fails to amaze me.  Especially when I have such a good friend with me.  Today she kept managing to get in my pictures which just made them all the more precious.  The first one is my favorite.  Actually, the woods seemed a bit weird today.  Fall is in the air.  Everything seems to take on a different look.  Sometimes creepy in fact.  I didn't find any feathers for about the first 30 minutes but then they seemed to be everywhere.  I also kept seeing eye sockets in the creek and things grouped in threes.  That all probably means nothing... or does it?

Bergamont.. with a twist.

Do you spy the squirrel?  

I spotted his tail.  He was frozen there.  It was a little odd.

They usually run.  But this guy froze until I got too curious as to what he was doing.

One of Kate's very favorite spots in the creek.

She splashes in here for hours while I mushroom hunt in the spring.

Kate foot.

I was interested in a rock and when I moved it this guy ran out from underneath.  I think I woke him up.

Tree root flower pot.

What the Harvey rains did to our swimming hole.  It's now down to rock bed.

three

foot

This little feather... turned out to be two little feathers.

Shaun would have a duck fit over this large thistle

Milk weed pods

total eclipse morning inspiration

I got on the internet this morning and visited one of my favorite blogs.  I love seeing their farm and their brand new baby goats.  The post that inspired me you can find HERE. 

I got my boots on and my clippers out and hit the edge of the woods.  I even walked into the woods some.  I found two turkey feathers and the coolest mushroom... that Katie Bug knocked over two seconds later so I brought it home too.  I didn't feel like I could just leave it there. 

The total eclipse is today.  I haven't decided exactly what to do.  I sort of want to stay home with my animal friends but I sort of want to hang out with friends preferably at a swimming pool since it is also going to be a scorcher today. Either way I am very excited to be a witness to the total eclipse.  I have heard so much about it on NPR lately.  So interesting.

I am in love with my arrangement.