A WALK IN THE WOODS

 POST # 511

“Woods are not like other spaces... They make you feel small.. like a small child lost in a crowd of strange legs. Stand in a desert or prairie and you know you are in a big space. Stand in a woods and you only sense it. They are a vast featureless nowhere. And they are alive.” Bill Bryson- A Walk in the Woods

 There are plenty of places around here that I can take Trixie for a walk, but none is more special than our walk in the woods.  A short drive from here, there is a section of forest that is really quite wonderful to behold.  As you can see from the description of this Douglas-Fir, it is a humbling experience, to stand in front of another living thing that is approximately twelve times older than I am.  Here is what it looks like.

Around the year 1200 AD when this behemoth was just a young sapling, the world's population was estimated to be less than 400 million.  Since that time we've increased the world's population by approximately twenty times, and most certainly decreased the few remaining trees such as this one.  It's really quite astonishing that any of them exist at all now.  All the more reason to take some time and go for that walk in the woods while you are still able to do so.

Further down the trail, there is another photo.

I believe that this was taken in the early 1900's.  From the vantage point of 2022, it's easy to criticise what these two gentlemen are doing, but during their time, it was probably normal activity.  Thankfully, not all of these beauties were felled, and some of us still have the opportunity to appreciate their magnificence.  

Our time spent in the woods is highly dependent on the "sniffs per metre" ratio which of course is dictated by Trixie.  As I am in no hurry, I'm more than happy to go at her pace.  She seems to enjoy what she's doing, and it gives me more time to survey the trees we are surrounded by.  For most of the walk, we are the only ones present, which I do find rather surprising, as this piece of forest is right in town, next to the local golf course.  There are plenty of people walking around there, and that's just fine with us.  

Eventually we arrived back at the car, and for a few minutes we can sit on the tailgate and relax, prior to heading for our next adventure which is usually to the beach.

After a splash in the surf, we head home.  The weather has been sunny day after day, and with the large fenced in back yard, Trixie and I tend to hang out there.  She can play with her various balls and sticks, chase the occasional fly, bee, or bunny rabbit while I amuse myself watching her antics.  Every once in a while there is a garter snake that attracts her attention.  She seems more curious than anything else.  So far I've never seen her try and attack the snake.  But yesterday, as a result of her curiosity, I took a photo of the snake that had just captured a slug.

Well, that's a day in the life around here, and I expect that our routine will continue during my stay.  Without a doubt, there will be more walks in the woods on the schedule, and we look forward to all of the upcoming gazing and sniffing that we will do while we are there.

grateful for every breath,

Paul

The Thoughtful Wanderer