11/10/2016, what a beautiful day. We packed some cheese, salami, olives, crackers, canned pears and a couple of snickers. Off we headed to the top of Moffit Hill and walked back in on one of my most favorite walks. Today was quite different than walks for the last 17 years. The Gas and Oil Company has been busy all summer cutting and clearing the beautiful trees along the road way we walk on. Not just a little clearing but very wide sweeps and then large clearings that will more than likely be for drilling pads. Although the walk was still beautiful, just different it made me a little sad to see yet another change in our beautiful Clara. Past walks were dodging mud holes on a tiny road that grass covered. Only a now and again Game Commission truck would venture out to check wild life, let a nuisance bear loose that had been trapped in a populated area and brought to our area and let go or dump dead deer that had been killed along the road. Those days are over, the pit is gone. Now the road is wide and groomed with sluice pipes in place for drainage. The road itself is actually enjoyable to walk on, very smooth. We walked for about an hour back in before we stopped for a rest and lunch. Quincy was quite disappointed since he couldn't find a squirrel or chipmonk to give chase too. He tried his best, sniffing under each log and around the base of trees that hadn't been cleared away. Nothing! We did see a couple deer tracks and one lone turkey track on a wet area along the road. This is unusual from past walks, there use to be lots of tracks and even a sighting or two of deer, turkey, squirrels and chippers.
It seemed so good to be back on our woods walks. Summer was too hot, so far fall was busy with the cabin and maybe we just got a little lazy. One thing is for sure the walk today renewed our love for the great outdoors and how good we feel enjoying the wilds of Clara. Back to our woods routine I'm sure. Life is better outdoors and feeling free.
Walking along I couldn't help think of all the dead leaves on the ground, some blowing around when a draft would come up over a ridge and others still falling from the mighty Oaks that are lucky to still be standing. A bud, unfolds to a leaf, a beautiful green, then vibrant fall colors until they fall and are crisp and brown. Their life was short lived and spent. Now they will have the purpose of giving back to the land, protecting the new little trees and plants that will rest until spring. Then the warm sun will start another life cycle. Nature is amazing and certainly knows how to take care of itself. If only human could just leave it alone!
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| The Oak leaf. |
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I was amazed, as we left an Oak leaf fell on our windshield
and stayed there until we got to Coudersport. I would
like to think it was a message about nature.
For every season has beauty for me. |
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| Lunch in the woods on Moffit Hill. |
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| Nothing better than fresh canned pears, refreshing! |
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| Keep the energy up. |
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This use to be like a tunnel with trees close to a tiny
road and canopy of limbs covering the road. Now a 2 lane
highway with few trees left. |
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| Looking for a chipper. |
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Enjoying the blue sky while we rest.
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