Larry A. Smail's Blog

Foggy sun

I left the house early while the fog was heavy along the Allegheny River and intersecting hollows. The air was clean and cool and I determined a few hours would be just what I needed to allow the stress to escape into the atmosphere.               

The climb through the hemlock rich northern slope was beautiful with fog and hints of light filtering through the canopy. I anxiously  continued on pondering what critters I may encounter. The morn was a success as far as I was concerned. Any day afield is a day of joy. It wasn’t long when I rounded a bend and spotted a doe with her two fawns feeding along. Unfortunately, she spotted me fumbling with my camera and sounded the alarm. I had eight deer sightings by the time my three-hour hike was completed.

While searching for anything worth viewing, among berry-laden autumn -olive groves I heard the “honking” of geese. I prepared the camera, but the V-shaped flock rapidly flew across just above the tree-tops. Their speed and the uncertainty, as to where, they would show failed me a photo.

Thousands upon thousands of dew-rich spider webs covered every step I took. My father would comment  on the various colored spiders as we walked in years past. When I was 4 or 5 I walked behind the house and gazed at my small torso and a huge garden spider that was twenty inches in size was walking on me! I quickly brushed it off and ran screaming to the house. Today, I do not kill spiders around the house. ( I remove them from within the house whenever possible.) I understand their good qualities of “bug” control. However, I do respect them because of my youthful experience. 

The webs sparkled with prism-like rainbows as the sun gradually burned off the dew. These creatures are surely amazing.

Eventually, I approached some corn fields. Wow, lots of damage from bear. I imagined a sow and cubs romping around playing and eating on the corn. They can do much damage!   

bear damage

I noticed plenty of various fungi throughout the woods. I watched for “sheephead” mushrooms, but, I didn’t see any. The hike ended after 10:00 with chores and art to work on. (By the way, that twenty inch spider was less than two inches across. It seemed that big to a small boy.)