As I took off down the main path towards the trails on Wednesday, it was apparent that I was duped by the warm 80˚ days and cold 45˚ nights and found myself a tad underdressed for the occasion (“Me without clothes? Well, a nation turns its back and gags”). So, I shook off the morning chill, put a spring in my step, and hoped to warm up soon by getting into lumbering mode as quickly as possible.
Last weekend was swell, even though there was no lumbering and no photo creeping.
Saturday was spent watching footy from the time I woke up until late in the afternoon. As a bonus, Spurs won 3-0 over West Ham, and sit 3rd in the table after 4 games. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s super early, but after finishing 17th last year, it’s nice to imagine a top-four finish.
Thursday, I stomped out another 6 miles in the crisp morning air, and it was pretty darn not bad.
After a weekend of not doing much other than watching shit World Cup Qualifying football, I was, of course, back in the woods come Monday for another week of lumbering and pointless, amateur-at-best, attempts at nature photography.
The week so far has been perfect fall weather, and I’ve taken advantage of the comfortable temps to stomp out some miles, and as I type this at 6 AM Thursday, whilst waiting for the sun to rise in an hour, I sit at 18.42 miles over three days. Sure, it’s all just pissing in an ocean of quinquagenarian suck, but sometimes an ocean to pee in is all one has.
Other than the ever-present deer, the critter activity has been lame, so I’m hoping for more luck with the critter pics in the coming days.
Later.
Sunday morning, I slept in until almost 7 AM before getting up to feed Lola and let her poop the yard. Soon after, she panted and rumbled her way back up the stairs and jumped back up into bed with Wifey. She’s my dog twice a day.
After unwisely letting myself spew out some of the shit in my brain on Wednesday’s post, I took some time to go inside and talk to some of my “parts.” Something that’s not so easy for me when my brain gets stuck in the good ol’ adolescent trauma days scared about things out of my control, along with the never-ending judgments about my looks and weight from pretty much anyone and everyone in my life, especially at school, or should I say at a fucking hell with asshole kids and outdated text books run by shame-loving priests and nuns who know fuck all about dealing with kids. Well unless, they’re “getting something” out of it.
Sometimes you have to work hard to not do anything. For me, Labor Day Weekend was NOT one of those times.
I was promised rain for Thursday morning’s hike, and that morning, the weather app confirmed that it was indeed going to rain whilst I was lumbering. It did not. Well, at least not enough to get wet.
However, I wouldn’t know that the rain was a no-show until 2 miles into my 5-mile loop when I stripped off my old Trek cycling rain jacket that gets worn for everything but cycling, stuffed it in my pack, and continued on, sadly knowing that my camera was nowhere near me because it was supposed to fucking rain and it did not.
But hey, at least I got 5 miles in and took some absolutely horrible photos (see intro pic and GIF) with my phone—the top of the line iPhone SE (rolls eyes, accepts roll as an aging luddite who would like to chuck his phone in the river rather than use it).
Friday Mourning (dressed in black)
I was back in the crisp air of the woods early Friday morning and anxious to cover more miles before a weekend of sloth and footy whilst Wifey is out of town to haze the fetus at her cousin’s Baby Shower back in Pittsburgh. I was also hopeful for some photos, because the week had been pretty shit so far.
About 3 miles in, I was coming up to a trail intersection and noticed another lumberist coming down the trail about 100 yards from me. No big deal, but I was heading to an area of trail that looks out over a spot along the river with numerous dead trees that are often perched upon by birds of prey like bald eagles, Osprey, Red-Tailed Hawks, and Rabid Pigeons.
With that, I put a little spring in my step to get to the spot alone to search the trees for birds with my camera. And thank goodness I did!
I had just come to the opening, and I could see an Osprey perched high above the river looking for breakfast. I quietly got my camera and got a few shots off, just as my fellow lumberist passed behind me, saying hi, as I was nerding out taking pics. I don’t think she even saw what I was photographing, and I probably looked like some sort of loon, but I don’t care, I got my pics!
But as SpongeBob always says, “All that glitters is not gold.”
I got some pics, but the fact that I was shooting from in the dark woods, across the river, with a slow kit zoom lens and a crop sensor camera, up into an early dawn sky, really made things difficult. While I tried a couple of different exposures, I knew that I would need to spend some time in Lightroom trying to get it close to where I wanted. But I don’t care, I got my pics! (Didn’t you just say that?)
I was pretty geeked with the shots, and was anxious to get the last two miles in, get home to see Wifey off on her trip, and get to work in Lightroom. Sure, I wish I would have had my Sigma 600mm lens with me, but there is really no part of me that wants to carry a 5-pound lens while lumbering.
I’m happy enough-ish with the shots and edits you see here, but they are not top quality; I know that. But since I’m in the business of making memories with the forest critter while enjoying the outdoors, not making money, it’s all good.
As I finished my lumber crossing the suspension bridge over the river, I got another pic of a Cedar Waxwing (my favorite non-bird of prey) in trees. That excitement was cut short when the morning coffee kicked in, and I had to do a Clench & Scurry across the bridge and to the parking lot porto. Coffee, man.
As I type this on Saturday morning, I have 27.53 miles of lumbering in, and should/could hit 30 if I get motivated to do anything that doesn’t require a remote control, footy, and a beer, but to be honest, I don’t know if I see that happening, for my slack is strong.
Later.
Four weeks ago, as I drove to the trails, I bemoaned the fact that it was 77˚ with 85% humidity at 6:30 AM. Well, this morning as I drove to the trails at the same time it was 45˚ and I debated whether to start the lumber with gloves1.
I guess that was my feeble-minded way of saying that fall is in the air. Also known as the “Sunday of Seasons.” Well, at least until mid-November when all the leaves are down and everything is dark and dank. Then it becomes the “Hospice of Seasons.”
Don’t get me wrong, my hulking, bloated body is not made for high heat and humidity, and I love that the cooler fall temps make for more miles and fewer bugs, it’s just that knowing there are 6 months of cold and darkness ahead makes me want to start gobbling antidepressants like they’re candy as I swig from a bottle of Jack with my trousers down and my aged, flaccid white ass pointed in the direction of Ma Nature as she flips the lever to Winter.
For the love of Pete, please digress!!
OK, OK… To the lumbering!
The week’s mornings have been cold and dark, with full sunshine not arriving until I’m at least 2 miles into my lumber. However, as always, it’s awesome to be in the woods as the sun creeps up over the horizon and shoots beams of orange light through the trees.
I bounced back from the weekend on Monday with a hike just over 5 miles, but then on Tuesday and today I was back to my 6+ mile loop, and after 3 days of lumbering have 17.37 miles in my feetz.
Over the past two days, the only photos of any worth were of a deer that I saw as I came around the corner on a section of trail. It stood looking at me about 70 feet away, and then eventually took off into the woods, where it poorly hid from me with some friends as I lumbered by. I had to bust out some manual focus skills to get the shot of it in the brush.
I also took a few shots of another Great Blue Heron, but it was right as I crossed the bridge near the end, and the sun was so bright that it blew out the highlights, and I couldn’t recover them in Lightroom. Oh well, I waited all summer to get some shots of a GBH, and then once I did, I was less than impressed with the large birds. They’re not that attractive, they don’t do much except stand around, and if you move an inch, they awkwardly fly away. They’re not exactly bald eagles, but I admit I do like seeing them around.
Thursday’s lumber looks to be a rainy one, and I’m looking forward to it. Also hoping for some better luck with the critters.
Later.
After I hit “Publish” on the last post, my Friday was just about finished, and I had nothing but afternoon footy (evening footy if you live in London) and finishing the laundry on my mind.