I am at home among the trees.

I don't want to talk about how crappy 2020 has been anymore. I want to talk about the woods. I grew up hunting but now that I'm order I'm less of a hunter and more of a watcher. These TEN turkey visited Saturday and were endlessly fascinating to observe!

This is a beautiful barred owl, aka "hoot" owl. I've been watching her in this area for two years now. She has a nest that belonged to a family of squirrels. I'm sure she asked them politely to leave before moving in.

Chubby little doe having a late afternoon snack. I still have venison stocked up in the freezer from last season so my "hunts" are mostly about gauging the health and population of our local deer. I take notes on how many I see, how healthy they appear and if I see any with abnormalities (limping, growths, underweight, twisted antlers).

During the summer I spend a lot of time walking the creek beds and occasionally find little sneaky snakes like this gray ratsnake. This one isn't venomous but he has several cousins that pack a dangerous bite.

This creek is fed by an ICY spring that keeps it feeling chilly even in the dead heat of summer.

Passed this little fellow on the way out. He looks blue BUT it's actually just reflecting the color of my vehicle. I always brake for snakes (and other wildlife of course) even though some people find them undesirable, they're an important part of our ecosystem.

Growing up I didn't appreciate just how lucky I am to have a wild place to roam. This year I've spent more time doing just that. I miss music festivals and I miss globe trotting..but I've found comfort in the wildness of the woods.

I have a terrible habit of losing track of time but the coyotes are always courteous enough to remind when it's time to head out. A lot of people are afraid of them, and I'll admit that it's eerie to hear a whole pack sounding off but for the most part they're very wary of humans. In years past we've had to work to control the population when flooding reduced their natural prey causing them to move into the few residential areas nearby. It's a delicate balance but I'm happy to report that these noisy neighbors have plenty to eat now and can enjoy doing what they do without intervention.
Thanks for taking a peek into my world! I hope you guys are finding your own peace in these trying times.