Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Moonlight Walk Dogs

Been a while since I have been in the Woods so I decided to go for a walk as night was falling. At 8:30, with a bright gibbous moon high in the dusk sky, I came to the NE Gate. There were two large dragonflies patrolling there which I took to be a good sign - hope that mosquitoes might be in check with adult predators developed and ready to go. At the gate there was the soft sweet fragrance of the old privet blooms.. mostly gone now.. but still attracting moths. In the gathering dark the trail was familiar, if dim, and looked in good shape, although perhaps a bit overgrown. I walked along the escarpment and heard barred owls calling from the big walnut. Then I dropped to the Elm Bridge where I was surprised by the barking, close-at-hand of dogs, maybe 50 feet downstream. They sounded ferocious and charging toward me in the dark - tangentially. I ran towards them shouting and they ran away south. Not good for them to be there. Impact on rabbits, skunks, voles, mice, all manner of small game. The Elm Bridge had water at the crossing.. not sure if it was flowing. I walked the loop out the EW Fence line trail to Hackbery Alley, put down the broken tree across the Alley and on to the East Pond, back out the Northern Loop.. by then too dark to see much; but could stay with the trail across Island Crossing up Pipeline and back out the gate. Now I want to return in the early morning light to see what I missed.

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