Just when we adjusted to the first frost and the crisp fall air on Saturday, it turned humid and balmy today. Not that I'm complaining. Kodi and I had a long, leisurely mid-day hike, basking in the warmth and enjoying the sounds of busy woodland and wetland animals.
The wetlands were all astir with life. Painted turtles crawled out of the algae-covered water onto logs, sensing the warmth. We heard the high pitched squawks of green frogs as they leapt from the wetland edge into the water as we passed by. A kingfisher perched on a snag, still finding plenty of open water for fishing. Well-worn muddy trails and large, fresh scent mounds told of busy work by the beavers.
Do you see the green frog and Kodi's paw in the picture below? The frog didn't budge even when Kodi tried to retrieve a stick in the water.
We walked the Sweet Trail, Kodi and I. The uplands too were full of interesting things to see and hear. The acorns were thick underfoot and squirrels and blue jays were busy overhead, gathering more nuts. The recent rains refreshed the rock tripe and the polypody that grow densely on the large boulders along this trail.
Here's Kodi. He knows he's a lucky boy to get these wonderful outings every day. His orange jacket is as much to alert bear hunters as it is all hikers that he's not a bear cub. Once he scared a runner nearly to panic when he jumped out in front on a path. Just last week a young couple clapped their hands when they saw him, sans orange, thinking he was a bear. So, he wears the orange without any fuss.
If you looked outside today and thought it looked too gloomy for walk, you missed it. It was warm and lively in the woods, and the colors are still lovely, especially around wetlands and in the forest understory. Check out the woods.
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