Saturday, March 29, 2014

This morning I was undecided as to where to hike today.  It was already almost noon when I tossed some snacks into my backpack and headed out the door.  I ended up at Elk Island on the Beaver Pond Trail.

There were small patches of wispy clouds in a bluebird sky.  The sun felt warm and made for a pleasant hiking day.

The bison seem to like this trail.  Each time that I walk it, there are large bison 'pies' that I have to tiptoe over.  It is rather silly that at the trail head there are doggy-doo bags provided so you can clean up after your pooch yet the pies left by the bison could fill up more than one pair of shoes.

All was quiet in the treetops.  The squirrels on the ground were the only noise makers today.  I couldn't tell if they were playing a game of tag or hard-to-get.  They would chase each other over logs, around bushes and up and down tree trunks.  A couple of them were close to running into me.

I met up with one other person today.  I think he had just stopped so his dog could do his business.  He didn't look dressed for an outing.

It's going to take awhile to melt all the snow that is tramped down on the trail.  A lot of it has melted beneath the trees and on the banks of the ponds but the trail itself has more than a foot of packed snow in some places; yet in others it is bare.  In 2013, the last of the snow melted in June and I think there was more snow this year.

The drive home is usually uneventful except for today.  I was only a couple miles away from the park gate when a front tire blew.  Thank goodness for roadside assistance and the fact that it was a nice day.  An hour later I was on the road again.  Other drivers don't like it when one travels at 80 kph on a highway where the speed limit is 110 kph but what can you do when you have a temporary little 'donut' tire for a spare.

I made it home safe and sound.  As I unpacked my vehicle, the chickadees were singing their cheeseburger songs in the trees.  The bluejays were squawking as they sat on the fence.  I could see the deer in the forest behind my yard so I knew it wouldn't be long before they came for a visit.

The first to arrive were the five amigos.  Their coats are getting darker.  The young ones are beginning to watch for danger and do the 'tail up' stance along with stomping the ground with their front feet.  They thought Spike the cat was a threat and started chasing the poor guy.  I've never seen him move that fast across the snow!  It was a good thing that he was close to the shed when they spied him.  He didn't have far to go to hide.

Something scared the deer off during the first visit.  They came back about 15 minutes later but there were more.  The two mule deer had shown up as well.  That made for quite the action in the backyard; fighting, head butting, foot stomping and rearing up.  I had my own reality nature show.

I don't usually have more than one light on in the evening but tonight I turned that one off as well to participate in Earth Hour.  I lit a couple of my favorite candles and did some internet shopping for new tires.


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