70 cars late (views from a walk in the sunlight)

We count cars on our trip to the park only. A "normal" morning is about 20 cars....Today we walked in "rush hour" - between 7 and 8 a.m. We were 70 cars late.

It was a warm and uneventful walk - not counting the big black dog rolling around in the dirt. as we neared the park.

We waived to and spoke with friends and neighbors along the way - the lady of the beautiful flowers, Dewayne and Sissy, and one of the elders of the community. [He is an identical twin. I never know if it is the Baptist or Methodist brother. But they are everyone's "great uncles."  I have had one tell me, "I think you have mistaken me for my brother" and then he continue the conversation for a few minutes anyway.]

I arrived home as my cell phone rang. Morning walks are NEVER interrupted by the phone, but it is a weekend and we have been expecting word from the children about visits and vacations.

I answered.


The count:

70 cars
1 big black dog
1 bicycle
1 motorcycle
LOTS of people in the park

PS All attempts to get a good photo of Mohawk dog are failures. He is not amused by cameras and his gang helps block attempts as well. Below is the best I could do.




Master weaver in the woods.

The near meadow and its ready harvest of wild grass.
The prairies must have been like this.

Dogs in the meadow...note grass seed on Padimus...

Mohawk dog

Zinnias. I may have to plant some next year.

Bicycle...is there a bike album coming?

Clouds and dogs (Mohawk dog!)

We did not walk long. The clouds had come in overnight. The heat of the day stayed and the morning was warm.

The clouds changed everything.



Morning star as we head east

Sunrise at the park



More of the sunrise.



The count:

30 cars

2 cats

Mohawk Dog and friends



Mohawk dog and the boxer snoozing in their yard



Mohawk dog...they scared us and the walker shook the camera.

 

Yes, it was a bunny - again. (bits and pieces of disjointed walk)

The dogs were excited to walk today and we were all excited to see a creature in the yard of beautiful flowers. It was the black bunny again! He hopped completed across the front of this house and to the yard next door where there just happens to be a rabbit hutch.

All along we have thought this animal was an escapee of the rabbit hutch and this was further evidence. But he had, much like my Houdini dogs, returned home.

There he goes...

We continued our walk to the park and back. [We even tried the meadows, but saw nothing more exciting than that little black bunny.]

Scruff managed to find two grass burrs and Paddy found one as well. It is time to stop cutting through the grass. Both dogs were patient with my attempts to locate and remove these devils.

Hate them, hate them, hate them (photo credit www.tellingdad.com)

Back at the house of bunnies, Mr. Rabbit was still in the yard near the hutch as we passed. I attempted photos, but it was still too dark for a good one. Squint. Blow the photo up larger. You may be able to make out the outline of a dark bunny at the foot of the tree. (Click on the photos and you will get a slide show and bigger photos to examine).



If you look closely you can see the bunny at the foot of the tree.

Mohawk dog and the gang were out and loud and he was sporting a "refreshed" haircut. He made me laugh as he attempted a serious barking defense of his yard with that silly hairdo.

Upon arriving home I stepped into a soggy yard. Thus I had discovered the cause of our low water pressure - someone had left the hose "on."

That grass will be beautiful for a while...and the water bill?...not so much.



Up and down the hill

It was dark when we started this walk.  The moon was high and stars were out and the pups and I were a little spooked. We had been walking closer to daylight. Or we had walked with DH. We were on our own this day and more aware, or thought we were.

A block from the park we flushed a big yellow alley cat out of the grass alongside the woods. [Some might call it a mountain lion, but it was a cat.] The startled dogs lunged after him and pulled me along behind for more than a few steps. The cat ran into the woods and we could see him in a small clearing, watching us watching him.

We continued our walk when another creature came lumbering up out of the creek. This was our second sighting of a skunk this summer (actually the second in a week) I could have skipped seeing any skunks. And seeing them in the almost daylight worries me. They are nocturnal animals. I thought of recent stories of rabid skunks... There was no reason for this animal to be out, but then it was not quite light/not quite dark.

We stopped and waited. The skunk walked almost to the street before he saw or smelled us. He stopped too. Then he turned, lifted his tail (but did not spray), and headed back into the ditch.

We hustled further down the park's entrance road, but quickly realized we were all alone. We don't enter the park in the dark alone.

We turned around and, making sure Mr. Skunk had not returned, headed home.

The last of the sights of the morning was a new runner. He jogged slowly down the steep hill, then turned and powered up the hill. He repeated this exercise over, and over, and over, and over.

We walked on the other side of the street to avoid interfering with his training. Upon reaching the top of the hill, we continued on our way. We walk for exercise and to achieve our destination...and once reaching the summit of the hill, we see no need to "do it again."

But we will, ultimately "do it again" - in the morning.



And our count?

14 cars
1 yellow cat
1 skunk
1 empty park
1 runner - running up and down the steep hill

nada más

It was a quick walk today - the wild ones were in fine form.

The wild ones

My brother sent me a photo of the cotton harvest at home. Their harvest is a few weeks ahead of ours here.

It made me homesick.

And then the cotton-like clouds (we have scarcely seen any for weeks) posed for me.

Cottony clouds

more clouds

y mas

Weird evening and no ice cream...

Because the walkers ran errands instead of exercising we had to face the evening - hot as it was (temps pushed 100 even as the sun set).

We had decided on a wade in the creek and arrived in the park to find a group of teenagers filming something - class project? music video? Whatever they were doing, we wanted none of it.

Avoiding the cameras we hustled to the creek side as fast as two distracted and misbehaving pups would allow.

A sketchy character was riding a bike back and forth on the sidewalk. I cannot put my finger on only one thing that made it feel wrong....he was not riding for a distance or with any focus. He stayed on a small segment (maybe an eighth of a mile) of the path - back and forth. We agreed to keep an eye on him as we waded with the dogs.

Rocky creek side

There were children playing in the culverts under the bridge. Their laughter and shouts were amplified by the walls of concrete. While we enjoy the happy sounds of children, this was too much noise for us and so we cut short our "swim." [It also frightens me to see kids in culverts, even when the water level is low. Our parents impressed upon us the hazards of running water. Those warnings were often reinforced by the drowning of those playing in drainage ditches or wading too close to culverts or underwater structures.]

Junk has floated in with some of our earlier big rains...

Giving up on this park, we decided to race to the other and its ice cream stand...as the clock ticked closer and closer to closing time. The "OPEN" sign still blinked as we arrived, but there were lines of people at the stand and lines of cars in the parking lot. Our patience spent, we turned as if to give up and head home.

Instead we detoured for a drive through this park.

All ball games were done. These parking lots were empty. No runners or walkers remained in the park.

We talked about some of our history with this park as we cruised the empty roads - kite flying, river trips, scout meetings, kids learning to ride bicycles...and then we caught sight of the park cat prowling near her culvert.

We headed home with our memories - leaving the park to a wild calico on the hunt.

What? No ice cream?

Moon and sun - why we walk (captions only)

The moon at the start of the walk.

Over a neighbor's home through the oak branches

Hovering over the park woods

Sky getting bright in the park

On our way home

Sun warms the sky

Late, late, late...and another difference of opinion

Moon over the woods near the park

 
 We woke early, but could not seem to motivate ourselves out the door...
 
 Late as we were to the park (the "quack, quack, quack" of the duck-call for robot dog training greeted us as we crossed the street to the mouth of the park), we decided to walk the dirt road for photos of the tiny tomato-like fruit of the silver-leaf nightshade. [Actually, I decided to do that. DH was not sure why I wanted to walk the road as it was too late for deer. With so many people making noise in the park and the sun almost over the tree-line we were only going to see tracks, insects, and a few birds.]

Dirt road - partially overgrown

 I quickly found examples of fruit.

"tomatoes"

Silver-leaf nightshade: plant, flowers, fruit. [circle of weed - ???]

We talked and dogs fussed and we all made noise...only to find the herd in the far meadow. One was standing at the edge watching us get closer and closer. Then she snorted that now familiar warning and they moved away from us and towards the woods. Three stopped and watched again as we arrived full into the meadow. Then with the shake of her head the same doe issued another warning snort and the far meadow was empty save two walkers and two ratty old dogs.

Road at the far meadow. See the deer?

Let me help you...

We turned towards home and talked about the wild batch of tracks in the dust of the road, the webs of the master weavers all along the road...then DH held his arm out to stop me. The maker of the tracks was some 20 or 30 feet away. There is no longer a mystery...not raccoon, not possum...skunk.

Tracks - not possum, not squirrel, not raccoon

The skunk wandered across the road and into the woods.

And we waited.

It was late for a skunk to be out. We thought it wise to give him a good long head-start. Neither of the walkers wanted to confront a rabid skunk.

The dogs, however, were crazed over the scents and I finally had to pull them away.

We walked with the moon on our right, sun on our left  - back down the dirt road. Suddenly more deer - five at least - crossed the road from the near meadow to the woods beyond.

Again the dogs went crazy, first after the fleeing herd and again as we arrived at the fresh and heavily scented crossing point.

After the excitement of the meadows we headed home for well deserved breakfasts...

We met two grey cats at the top of the steep hill and another creature...and met with another difference of opinion --

DH: There's a loose dog (indicating an animal some distance away).
Me: I think that is just a big yellow cat.
DH: It is a dog.
Me: Really, it is just a big cat. It has a cat's tail and walks like a cat.
DH: If it is a cat and that big, it is a mountain lion.
Me: OK, then let's get out of here as I do not want to mess with a mountain lion.

Tissue paper moon as we reach the top of the hill

COUNT:

Many "quacks" - no ducks
10 deer
1 skunk
2 robot dogs
5 people in the park
26 cars (or more)
1 moon just past full
1 sun ready to heat up this day
2 grey cats, one tuxedo cat
and 1 cat or dog or mountain lion, but definitely not a bunny...
 [79 photos, mostly bad]

Morning stars, full moon

Jupiter and Venus are the morning stars shining in the east (...according to my daughter. We were discussing the walks at supper last night.).

Both planets were bright this morning as we started early-early under the watch of the full moon.

We headed eastward and realized that Orion, the hunter, had cleared the horizon - a portent of fall. In these days of hundred degree temperatures it is enough. Fall will come.

It was an uneventful, but purposeful walk. We had skipped a day and knew we needed to make sure we were thorough, but quick on this last work day of the week.

A strange car drove into the park.

We stopped for water and then turned to face the moon, still watching us, hovering over our woods.

The sun shines hot while the moon shines cool and we felt the coolness of the park, a relief from the daytime furnace.

Orion      © Ian Ridpath

LINKS:

http://www.farmersalmanac.com/full-moon-dates-and-times/

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/have-you-seen-venus-and-jupiter-before-dawn

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orion_%28constellation%29

Count:

2 dogs barking in the distance
16 cars
No papers on the way to the park
One stranger
One full moon
Orion, the hunter 

...and a black bunny

Morning star shines above the dawn

Morning stars were shining overhead this morning. Only one could still be seen at the dawn of the day.

There is an Austin stone, ranch-style house about half-way between our home and the park. As we neared the house Scruffy saw something run along the curb by that house. He jumped and tried to go after it. I saw this black shadow moving off to the right and here is the conversation that followed:

Me: What is that? Is it a cat? Is it a skunk?

DH: It’s a cat.

Me: No, I don’t think so…

DH (shining flashlight at shadow that has now stopped at the curbside just down the street): It is a cat.

Me: No, I think it’s a bunny…

DH (shining the flashlight again): It’s black. IT IS A CAT.

Me: Look again. Cat’s aren’t shaped like that. I think it’s a bunny.

DH (shining the flashlight again. The BUNNY, out of patience, hops away): Oh, it is a bunny.

Now, what a black bunny was doing hopping away down the street in our neighborhood, I do not know. But it was, indeed, a bunny...

It was a black bunny

We arrived at the park to see a flashlight moving along the field by the walking path. Then we heard someone pounding stakes. It was Dewayne again (see yesterday), preparing the field for dog training. We did not wait long enough to see what the training was like, but there were large "people sized" and "people shaped" white things lined up in a row parallel to the park road. I can imagine they would look a little scary in the dark, but in the dawn light they just looked weird. We, knowing little of the dog training, merely shook our heads and walked on.

We headed down the dirt road and, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a deer bound across the track at the edge of the woods. It hinted of things to come.

We walked along with our stealth-less dogs shaking their collars and making enough noise to give warning to any game in the woods. We could hear the deer moving, but hidden to the north. They rustled through the underbrush, but didn't show themselves. Then we heard that familiar deer "snort." Whether a warning about us or snub directed to us, the snort told us not to wait for the deer to enter the meadow. They knew about us and would wait for us to leave.

I commented to DH that I often thought about one running out of the woods and "into" us by mistake.

Then, on our return back to the road's beginning and some distance from the "snort", another deer leapt past us. This deer was so close (within 20 feet from us) we all jumped and the dogs could not be contained. They dragged me down the road a bit until we reached the crossing point - where they followed scent until I steadied myself and got them back under control.

It was an adrenalin rushing, dog panting, awe inspiring sight.

DH watered the pups and suffered Scruff's coughs and sneezes and slurps. [Paddy drinks delicately, but hogs the water until she is done. Scruff waits his turn, but has no "table manners."]

We wandered home to the barking of Mohawk dog and gang...

As I fed the hounds and filled their water pails (tubs? We have to use large wide bottomed galvanized containers or Scruff will tump them out in his crazy drinking frenzy-he jumps into the tubs and digs up the water - sputtering and biting at it. I said it was crazy.) I spied an old rabies vaccination tag on the ground. Our dogs rarely kept their tags on so we gave up trying for "tagged" dogs. We have ordered collars with embroidered names and our phone number. That has to be enough.

I stooped to recover the small red tag hoping it was not our Oreo's (gone these 2 years, we miss her still). No, it was dated "2005" and was engraved with a misspelled name - "Patty" it said.

Yes, it was our first tag for Paddimus.... I took it inside and washed it. Hoarder that I am, I will find some place to secure it. It will wait for the day I decide I no longer need that reminder of rescuing a young, slightly mangy dog from my home town...to harass our old dog and keep us safe from strangers.


The count?

20+ cars (lost track in the excitement of the bunny)

Morning sounds

Ah the morning sounds... we started with the garbage truck as it emptied dumpsters in the distance. We heard three barking dogs, including the yippy dogs a block from home. They are such a nuisance...and are so convinced they control the block. There would be bird songs, but that was later...

A flashlight's glow bobbed along the park path. This was strange and disconcerting. I wondered what it could be - a new early walker? a park worker checking something?

I was able to make out a truck in the parking lot, but I have no ability to recognize vehicles (I have often walked up to someone else's car in a parking lot and tried my key only to realize there is not enough junk in the back seat for the car to be mine).

Always cautious, I stopped before walking full into the park and continued to watch until I realized it was Dewayne and Sissy, preparing for a dog training session. By the time I left the park they were well set up, but had not started the whistles and fetching. It is usually better for my pups not to see the robot dogs. Paddy and Scruffy become fixated on the highly trained (and beautiful) golden animals.

At the top of the hill there were no cats or crows to greet us, but an almost biblical rooster crowed three times. We were not sure of the message that held - finally deciding it must mean that we should be glad not to live near a rooster...

[One of the things I love best is how the quiet of the morning changes as the sun come up and the birds begin to sing...the wild birds, not the roosters...]

The sky was warming and the birds, with their morning songs, sang us home...



A little later than early, the count shows:
20 cars
3 barking dogs
2 people in the park joined by banana man just before we went home

Insects circle the pavilion lights...

Early Sunday morning and the pack stalked the park.

No deer, no fox, no park cat...no early morning fishermen...so bird songs...all was still and quiet in the pre-dawn cool. We walked and watched the day dawning. Two roosters crowed a good morning, but still no wildlife appeared save moths and other flutterers around the lights of the park pavilion. Mid-walk, mid-park a morning bird began to sing.

We refused, refused to return home with no reward beyond the vision of insects at a florescent light and one bird song...so we walked the dirt road in hopes of finding something in the meadows. And we did. All along the road the dogs alerted to  noises in the woods. They were impatient to investigate, but we somehow held them back. 

Two deer were grazing in the far meadows (the others never left the cover of the woods). The pack was satisfied.

Up the hill four cats waited for feeding. Newspapers rested on lawns. The sky brightened...and soon we were home.


What we count on a Sunday morning:

7 cars
4 cats waiting to be fed
2 roosters crow
One bird bursts into song
Haw, haw, haw - one crow at the top of the hill

No walk-long drive...dust from the Sahara...

I used to drive some distance every week - to work, to teach, to campaign, to haul children, to attend athletic events.... I have long had a love-hate relationship with the road. Driving ate my time and energy, but it allowed me the opportunity to plan lectures and letters and to listen to the radio.

My drive to Houston and back today reminded me of how much weird stuff I would learn on my old commutes....Today I learned the reason for the moon's hazy aura last night - dust from storms in the Sahara. Really. Dust from storms in the Sahara Desert has gotten caught up in trade winds and will make things hazy in Texas this weekend before it moves on to other states. Apparently this happens every summer. Who knew?

At first I thought this was science robbing me of the drama and romance of the evening view of the moon, but then I recognized the romance of trade wind borne earth from half-way around the world dropping like fairy-dust on our heads. [Unfortunately unromantic science still wins as it seems that there is a health warning issued - small particles in the air will make breathing difficult for folks with health issues.]

Moving on...

This was my second trip to Houston and back in a week (que lastima). I have a love-hate (mostly the latter) relationship with Houston too. It is a different world for more than issues of politics, population, chaotic development, and traffic (things that make me shake my head, cringe, scowl, or swear). It seems that Houston is always blooming - almost tropical growth to be found everywhere (while most of Texas is dry, crispy and brown). Huge patches of wildflowers are still blooming there, but the lush plants are not enough...not enough...

While Houston will never be my favorite Texas town, I will try to love her more as she hosts thousands of ceramics artists in March of next year....I plan to be there.




In case you do not believe me...

http://blogs.kxan.com/2012/07/20/african-dust-cloud-moving-over-texas/ 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dust_storm



One of my works shown in Houston this month:

Package #4

Starboard shines blue - sometimes flashing

The late night walk was all about light. The day was dying so we lit ourselves...starboard shines green, but our jogger's light is blue (it can also flash fast or slow - though that is too much on a night when I am worn from a busy week and my head wants to ache). Port pocket was glowing red...all Girl Scouts will know our song tonight.

The crescent moon shimmered adjacent to three stars - a triangle blinking above.

We disturbed no animals tonight as we left our street and we sailed past North Belton admiring its lights. Some glow as nightlights, a comfort in the gloom. Some seem more candles marking shrines. And others are festive, a celebration of light.

We turned at the streetlight (pushing the button to change it in our favor). Bravely facing headlights rushing by we walked to the childrens' school and then into the darkness. It is a short two blocks home, but seems much longer. I pulled a flashlight as the dogs acted "afeared."

... no pirates... but treasure...

As the lights of home shined far ahead...

You hear what you want to hear...

It was the first time the pack had traveled to the park since Saturday. And it was dark.

The dogs did not hesitate to head east at almost a jogging pace. Then half-way down the road we were surprised to see a deer headed north. The dogs shook off their surprise and pulled us to the spot where he crossed the pavement.

A few blocks further and another deer crossed south to north. The dogs missed this one - distracted by some other neighborhood smells. But the walkers wondered at the sight - we have never experienced this many deer moving within the neighborhood. Perhaps we have simply never been in the right place at the right time to view the wildlife wandering our blocks of the town.

Our neighborhood enjoys a small creek, really an intermittent stream, that eventually runs along the edge of the park and on to the Leon River near the highway. These deer must be seeking water or food or cover.

As we turned into the park two more deer crossed the paved park road. We saw no need to walk the dirt path to the meadows. The deer had come to us.

The pups always enjoy a stop at the water fountain and so we did. Paddy drank, then shoved Scruffy aside and drank again. When Scruff finally got a turn he drank, snorted, coughed, drank and then sneezed on DH's hand...this is standard Scruffy behavior.

Turning for home we greeted the park cat keeping vigil on her culvert. In the darkness the dogs did not see her. She watched us pass.

I heard a sound in the distance.

I sometimes am reminded of a character in Harry Nilsson's THE POINT! who says, "you see what you want to see and you hear what you want to hear..." [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Point!]


I thought I heard the screech owl.

Then I knew I heard the screech owl.

But "you see what you want to see and hear what you want to hear."

I have so longed to hear the screech owl this year...

I will believe it when it calls again.


The count:

14 cars - one a police car
1 motorcycle
1 screech owl 
[http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Eastern_Screech-Owl/id?wspapp=12227117104&gclid=CMPtrJzktLECFYVgTAodQj4AzQ]

Two walkers, no dogs THEN DOGS COME HOME....

Monday Morning -- The pups were still boarding and so DH and I walked along by ourselves to the park and back. The trek is so much faster without Paddy and Scruffy sniffing every bush and telephone pole.

We arrived in the park to visit with banana man (who was eating an orange today - the smell of citrus sweet reaching us as we passed by).

We hustled to the far meadow in time to see two deer grazing in the short grass.

It was a nice change, an opportunity to talk about the expectations of the week and plan the days ahead.

Evening -- Happy dogs greeted me after work. We took solo walks outside around our naked feeling yard and saw that the moon is now a waxing crescent.

The trimmed trees provide much less shade and the potted plants were thirsty. One looks crispy-dead.

Impatient dogs pulled at their tethers as I watered a bit. We will have to think to turn on the sprinkler before the morning walk tomorrow.

We wandered back into the house for a quick combing and reward (a treat - when you sit when asked).

Few things are a comforting as a dog leaning in for scratches on ears...then laying down at your feet, completely happy to be home and with you.

A sound we have waited for all summer

It was early for Saturday walk and we saw few cars and no people on our way down to the park.

A car in the far parking lot near the river started up and left as we arrived - strangers - odd behavior...

One of the walkers we have not seen in months showed up. We were so glad to see him.

A fawn was in the far meadow. We don't know where the rest of the herd was, but the dogs acted excited during the whole walk. The deer could have been in the woods on either side (or both sides) of us and we would not know...the underbrush still blocks our view into our small forest.

As we walked the dirt road we noted the dried mud was quickly turning to loose dust. Our tracks from the "very muddy day" were still there, but few others.

And then we heard it, "Whoo hoo."

There is an owl in the park.


The wildflowers are forcing more blooms to welcome him. The rains of last week have encouraged the clematis to bloom.

And there is an owl in the park.


Our distracted (dogs after a bird) count:
6 cars
2 dogs barking
1 owner shouting
2 morning trains

Night walk, creek walk, ghost walk?

It was a long "day off" for everyone. DH had workers cutting trees and cleaning up after. I spent most of the day at the office. Dogs were inside - away from the noise of saws and chippers... And so we all needed a walk in the cool of the evening.

We went to the creek and walked a bit.

The creek goes through some of the oldest parts of town...

Headed to the creek

I brought my camera - even though the rapidly gathering gloom of evening was upon us.

As we passed the old AME church I kept thinking, "Keep taking photos. You are going to catch something interesting."

So here are bits of our evening walk...and something interesting.

Lots of good scents

Park lights warmly glow

DH and Scruff do not notice, but Paddy and I know there is something interesting about...

Some days

Some days nothing much happens...

It bloomed...

I could describe our little community meeting along the entrance road to the park...David, running man, Dewayne, Sissy, two yellow labs behaving, two mongrel dogs doing what they want, and me...oh, and the watchers...

The watchers

 I could mention how in certain moments the lights of the distant city shine around it like a diamond necklace. [click on a photo and view them as a slide show - you will see the necklace]

Above the dark, below the sky, the lights of the city shine...

I could mention the lack of deer along the dirt road (it is mostly dry now) and the dogs - not tracking, not alerting, sniffed the air for some scent that was a mystery to me...



 But I will focus on the sky.

It began...

Glow grew

David wanted to know what I was taking a picture of....

I said, "Look!"

And it bloomed....

After the storm

Sunrise after a storm can be lovely.

Sunrise

 We passed the pine tree resting on the house with nary a look. [I would wait until full light to take photos and review the "plan of action" with DH]

Our bummer

We found another house down the block with limbs down. Apparently we had some strange winds yesterday and there is a good deal of damage in town.

Neighbor's bummer

Dogs were distracted as was I and we made ourselves walk...and walk.

Robot dogs were hanging out of the pickup truck as they passed us near the house and soon after we saw running man returning from the park.

Our off-schedule and distracted selves could not face polite community in the park - which was teeming with walkers and runners and such. So we decided to brave the mud on the dirt road and escape the bustle of too many folks. 

We three went slipping and sliding down the road and, instead of recognizing our mistake, kept walking.

I realized that I was in danger of a "Chaplinesque" pratfall as the dogs were excited and the road ridiculously slick . Have you every walked in river silt? I kept thinking I would soon be skiing on mud powered by twin engine-dog power.

And, folly heaped upon folly, we kept walking.

As we reached the first meadow a good-sized buck leapt across the road - the image is still fresh in my mind - beautiful powerful animal. The dogs tried to take off after him, but calmed as they realized I would not give them leave to run.

The second meadow was empty, but then it seemed we flushed the herd out of the woods and they crossed the meadow, some stopping for the briefest moment. The photo surprised me (I never have a camera ready, the light is rarely "right," and animals do not pose) - catching the animals in halt and flight. (I know. It is none too good, but will have to do).

Deer in the far meadow



We slipped and slid back down the road (sans the  "face plant" I was expecting) and shook the mud off our feet and shoes as we made our way back home to survey the storm damage.




 After the storm count:

pine tree (against my house)
tree limb (in the neighbor's yard)

27 cars - including robot dogs's truck
1 bicycle
1 runner

1 buck leaping out of the near meadow
7 deer in far meadow