Into The Woods Journal

Year 2024 — Week Seventeen

April 22

Bella And The Great Houdini

The temperature was in the low forties when I awoke. After a cup of coffee, my wife and I bundled up and headed out to the truck. In the pasture’s corner, near the tree line, stood a lone doe watching us. She stared as we got into the vehicle, remaining still as we drove off. As we headed down the dirt road, a cardinal shot out in front of us. A pair of rabbits stood lost in conversation and then sprinted off toward an enormous field when we got too close.
It was twilight, and the drive to Lake Wilson was beautiful. The sky was lit in a soft orange color, with a bright yellow halo forming where the sun would soon rise. The weather reports called for a cloudy start to the day, but the skies told us it would be clear and bright. When we arrived at the lake, we jumped out of the truck, hit our stop watches and headed south around the trail on the east side of the lake.
The water looked black and ominous as it flowed over the dam into the creek. The flowers were in bloom, and the wildlife was active. Several squirrels were awake, gathering their morning meal. We saw our first blue heron within minutes, seeing four of the large birds by the time our walk ended. At the southeast tip of the trail, a large hawk landed on a fencepost, perching as we neared…