Animals

I left Callahan’s around 6:30 am to get some miles in before it got too hot. For once there was no huge hill to climb to get out of town! I just had some small rolling hills to enjoy, which was nice.

I went past a peregrine falcon nesting area but didn’t see any of the birds.

There are some stunning meadows here though.

And lots of wildflowers.

At one point I saw a rabbit hopping towards me on the trail with its nose to the ground, sniffing. I stopped and watched to see how close it would get. When it was only three feet from me it suddenly sensed my presence and turned around and bolted back down the trail and into the woods. It wasn’t an extraordinary events, but it made me smile.
A few hours later I came across a young buck eating lunch. I cautiously approached very slowly and it didn’t notice me until I cracked a twig. Then it took off in the opposite direction and bounded away as fast as it could. It even made a noise! I’ve never heard deer make sound before and I don’t know how to describe it.

Going through the woods I listen to the songs of many bird species and I’ve heard a few different woodpeckers too. I see lots of squirrels and chipmunks as well.
I went past the most interesting lake outlet in the afternoon and enjoyed a few minutes in the shade listening to the creek flowing.

During the times I’m alone I have a lot of hours to think about things. I’ve thought a lot about the jobs I’ll look for next, new projects to take on, future adventures (both big and small), and past events (both good and bad). My world has become small since I don’t read the news often and am out of touch with world events but it has been nice to let go of those things and focus on what’s important in life.