April 25, 2024
Trail Blazers
The morning started with a cup of coffee. After, we got dressed and headed to the car. We were going to Lake Wilson for a morning walk, something we loved to do anytime we had the opportunity. I slept well and felt rested, and I was in good spirits as we pulled off the property onto the main road. In the middle of the street, a deer was trying to get off the road, but its hooves had no traction on the slick concrete. I slowed down and gave it time to find its footing and it crossed into the woods.
At the lake, the weather was clear, and the sky was blue with small, puffy cumulus clouds that looked like cotton balls. There was no wind, and the lake was like a large piece of smooth glass with wispy smoke rising from the water. Every morning at Lake Wilson was beautiful, but conditions like today made the place look sublime.
We saw two beavers dive, leaving a long wake on the surface of the water as they swam beneath. In front of us, Bella and Houdini walked their humans around trails. We caught up with them and stopped to say hello. All dogs and humans were in a good mood. There were two herons out this morning, one standing against the bank, almost out of sight, and the other just south of the bridge. This heron was larger and wading in the water, looking for breakfast. The still waters reflected the long wooden bridge, and all the greenery of the trees and shrubs, which were now lush and full.
About halfway around the loop, we ran into Callie, a large golden retriever, and her human. We talked for a minute or two about the pleasant conditions, highlighting the mirrored water and fog. He told us about last summer when the water had plummeted to record low levels. He said everything looked strange, like the surface of the moon with deer walking around the terrain where the water once stood. From the bridge, we saw a lone cormorant swim and then dive underwater. There were also two turtles perched on a log, waiting for the sun. By the time we finished the two-mile loop, we were both hungry.
Breakfast at the Cracker Barrel was delicious, as always. Since we were already in Wilson, we drove to Lidl, where we did some grocery shopping for the next few days. When we went to pay, I realized my wallet was in the car, inside my small sling back that carried my point and shoot Ricoh GRIIIx camera. My wife used her card to pay for the groceries and the female cashier quipped, “Ya’’ll men need to stop leaving your wallets at home!”. We all laughed, but I had just dodged a $165 grocery bill. Who’s laughing now? I mean, all the money still came from the same place, but I counted it as a win.
When we arrived home, I was sleepy from breakfast so I took a quick half hour nap. My wife went outside and mowed a section of the yard, which completed the entire front yard and pasture. The property looked well maintained. While having a snack together, we moved to study and write under the pergola, sitting together on the outdoor sofa. I broke off to make a few phone calls. One for a follow-up dental appointment and another to request the extermination service come and remove something dead from underneath the house. Three weeks ago, they placed poison in the crawlspace and this week; a foul smell was coming into the house near the washer and dryer.
My wife and I changed clothes, put on our work boots and gloves, grabbed a rake and sheers, and headed out the door to work on the trails. Today, we wanted to work on the west side of the property. We started with that area first, as it had an old trail that nobody had cleaned in years. We spent over an hour raking and snipping. When we had extended the trail halfway to the house, we walked back to our front yard and started clearing a new trail that would connect to the old trail we had just finished. This part of the property had no paths and required us to cut trees, vines, and briars while we navigated through the forest, choosing the path of least resistance.
The area near the house was beautiful and looked unique. It was full of large cedar trees and rocks and logs covered in bright green mosses. The entrance to the new trailhead was a secret path into the woods from the west side of the front yard. The trailhead was not visible unless you walked through a small hole hidden in the tree line. While blazing a new trail, we found an old telescope. We found it in the middle of the woods, with its tube dented and all the parts scattered around the area. I wondered how long it had been there. After another few hours of working, we stopped at three o’clock. I was exhausted.
We took a break on the back porch, drinking cold water and re-energizing with fresh strawberries and a fresh bag of Cheetos. The salty flavor was just what I needed. After catching my breath, cooling off, hydrating, and getting a little salt in my body, I came back to life. Clearing trails was hard work! We were so dirty, we both showered, even though we planned to be out by the fire later. I put on shorts, a tee shirt, and flip-flops. Then I sat down to sip an icy beer while my wife relaxed in the hammock.
She tried to get Kilo to jump into the hammock, and when she did, they both lost their balance. Kilo jumped off, leaving my wife to spill out on the floor. We laughed hard. She tried the same thing with Axel, who instinctively lied down and stayed still. We thought it was a success, but keeping Axel still for longer than a few seconds was an obstacle in itself. After ten seconds, he jumped out of the hammock and grabbed a piece of firewood to chew on. Koda jumped into the hammock with my wife like a pro. He had plenty of hammock experience with my wife back in Texas.
We made burgers on the Traeger and ate outdoors. After, we took a quick walk through the woods. From the edge of the pine grove, we spotted a deer feeding on the north side of the crop field. The wind was blowing in our favor, so it never detected us. Soon, we were all run out of the area by a large farm vehicle driving up and down the crop field at high speeds. I wasn’t sure what they were doing. We walked to Beaver Tooth Rock and then alongside the creek where my wife cast spells over the little fish, you know, the exact thing I did yesterday when she pronounced my weirdness.
When we arrived at the new trail, my wife turned to me and asked, “Shall we?” We walked up the new trail, finally connecting to the path that lead to the secret entrance outside our house. The forest in this area looked mysterious, and we were proud of our work. When we arrived home, I cut wood like a caveman and started a fire while my wife cleaned the kitchen. After, we sat outside talking, waiting for the stars to come out. She asked me to read this journal to her, and I read three entries from March, ending with the catching of her first fish. She went inside to clean up and I broke down the fire. After a shower, I slipped into bed, ready to recuperate from the day’s hard work.