So, a few months back my husband and I decided to go for a walk in the wooded area surrounding our neighborhood. This is an area that is clearly intended for residential development, but we aren't quite sure what's halted the construction.
Walking into those wooded areas, and exploring every part of it that we have been able to, has awakened something in me that I had forgotten was there. It is so easy to get complacent and fall into a routine that leaves you sitting at a computer more often then not. So, that's what sort of happened with me. I started to forget how much I liked going out into wooded areas, and how much I had always wanted to explore them.
We have found a lot of really interesting things back there. The pond, lake, or whatever you want to call it, that's shown above. It's peaceful there. There aren't a lot of people that go out there during the day, so it's easy to sit by the water and enjoy the after noon. Later in the day, though, and on weekends it's a bit more difficult. There are more kids out there, and more people riding around on ATVs. People that have no respect for the land.
Being able to walk through paths like this, and paths that are less covered with leaf litter, has shown me how observant I can be. I have been able to spot tracks from deer, raccoons, dogs/coyotes, may have spotted a couple of hog tracks, but I'm not sure on that. Even some vulture tracks, which also showed me that my feet are only a little bigger then that birds. We've seen signs of hogs digging for mushrooms, and rubbing most of the bark off of trees. It's been interesting to come across everything we've seen out there.
There's been a couple of disturbing instances, though, where we have seen dead hogs. So far the total count for the hogs are 3 adults and one adolescent. Until we saw the bodies we hadn't been sure that there were hogs in the area. What's so disturbing about it, though, is that the animals were shot only a few hundred feet behind a few houses. There was also a deer near the first hog we found.
Now, we have heard what sounded like shots being fired. We've even found old evidence of it near the lake, but nothing so fresh. I worries me to think that someone would do something like that so close to a residential area. I don't really care that they killed the hog. They didn't leave everything there, they took what they could so the meat didn't go to waste. It's just where they did it. So far, though, we have only heard the shooting. We've yet to run across anyone carrying a rifle out there, though we have run across a couple of deer stands.
Anyway, I know I started sort of rambling there. There is a reason for me sharing this. Every since I first stepped into the woods, since that more adventurous part of me has been reawakened, I've found it impossible to concentrate on my lifting. I mean, I know I was waffling a bit before, but I've pretty much lost all focus since. I know I want to be strong, but more then that I want to learns everything I can about woodcraft. I actually want to learn how to hunt, and path find, and...all of it.
I think that's enough rambling for now. I appreciate you all reading this.
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