Romance was in the air (and I saw it fall to earth)

I made a pleasant overnight trip to the woods. It’s worth it just to watch the lightning bugs; they were busy doing their lightning- bug things Saturday night. I saw one flash out in the clearing. Another double- flashed nearby, and it must have been a provocative reply: suddenly there was a spot of constant light that fell straight down to the ground and disappeared. Ain’t love grand!

The creek was low, the fish waiting for some morsel to float by. Fewer spiders are scattered on the trails, but they are getting larger. There was a squirrel visiting my pear tree. The pears are still green and he was knocking down a lot more fruit than he was eating. I may have to make jambalaya. I had a pleasant walk up the creek, watched a few birds and squirrels go about their business. I saw some more of those disturbed areas on the creek bank. I wondered whether it might be a hog’s rooting, but the sand doesn’t hold the tracks well… deer tracks were all over the place and they can be hard to differentiate. Maybe next trip I will find some fresh sign.

Daddy's red mule

Yes girls, he referred to it as his "red mule" and I'm still working it (or is it working me?). This old Gravely is heavy and unweildy, but it has a can- do attitude and runs pretty good. I had it overhauled a few years ago, I keep on patching it, and have managed to keep it going. I remember Papaw's Gravely, too. Whew, that was a long time ago. His had a sickle- bar mower that vibrated enough to make your teeth chatter. I had some bush- hogging to do, and it surely was hot.

HAW, now!

Tenting solo

I must have camped in someone's bedding area; it smelled like deer and I found several ticks crawling on me. I didn't notice any tracks or other sign, however. I got this little lightweight tent for cool- weather use, and this was a good opportunity to try it before the summer evenings become too hot. Setting camp while the sun was still up, it was hot inside, but the little shelter seemed pretty well ventilated. There was plenty of floor space for one person and some gear. Overhead ties would accommodate lines or a gear loft. I think it might sleep two, if they were on very friendly terms. There is ample headroom for sitting up, though it is a bit narrow for my shoulders. Breezes did not sway the tent fabric, and I want to see how it handles real winds. This little tent has a small profile and seems to have a good aerodynamic shape. With its many guy- points and stakes, I suspect this would be an excellent performer in blustery weather. I expect to enjoy this little light- weight in the coming winter, but I fear the small size would be wearisome for extended foul- weather stays.

Holiday for kingsnakes?

I saw two of them... up close and personal; wonder if the mating urge has them out and rambling. Two in a weekend, when even one would have been noteworthy, a rare treat. Yellow- speckled, and they were shiny black; made me suspect they had shed recently.

I also saw lots of spiders, those banana/ garden spiders (as a youngster I knew them as "rattlesnake spiders" and they all seemed to build their sticky yellow webs at horseback height). This weekend, they were all small, and some webs had several spiders; perhaps mixed genders. I don't know; I never studied spiders much. I wonder weather those big ones I see in the Fall have grown from this size , or do some over- winter and get a head- start on the year's growth.