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.