Must be 24 degrees or so. I don't rely on such things as the television or thermometers. Nope, I've got Cherokee and Blackfoot Indian blood coursing through my veins.
Those of us fortunate enough to have Native American lineage instinctively know such things. Much like Euel Gibbons (for those of you who are too young to know who he is, Mr. Gibbons is a naturalist), we find nature bountiful and are naturally equipped to survive in the wilderness.
So, the temperature was only one thing about this morning that was a given, so-to-speak. It was evident that much wildlife had recently crossed the path I now traveled. Yeah, ok, so Maggie was sniffing wildly, so what? I knew it anyway....
Deer were very close. Well, at least one, anyway. There was no doubt about that. I could just feel it in my Native American bones. (I am quite proud of my heritage!) Aside from the fact that once I paused my crunching the crisp frost-covered Autumn leaves for just a moment, Maggie froze in her tracks, tail high, stiff, and over her back, and in a stance that would shame any trained Pointer, I just had that "feeling."
She, too, could hear the carefully placed footsteps of the very animal for which many donned an orange vest this morning. It should go without saying, but I'll say it anyway---naturally, I heard it first.
We must have stood motionless with only the steam of our exhales to render us living beings for 15 minutes. Leaves falling from trees all around us, it appeared that Maggie was confused as to exactly where the sound of the softly stepped on leaves was coming from. Poor dear....
I stared intently toward the spot I knew the deer would soon become visible. But, it never came to pass. Maggie got restless and began to whine, which in turn alerted the still hidden deer.
Being outdoors with any domesticated animal can be a precarious event. And had Maggie not been on a leash, I feel certain she would have ruined even that brief time I had in my element--nature--by instantly haphazardly attempting to flush any/all living creatures from their fortresses.
Ah, yes, for that one frozen moment in time I was one with my ancestors that had gone on before me. It was as if they were hauntingly calling me home, drawing me deeply into the thickly wooded area from whence their spirits came. Sigh.......
And so it goes. To be sure, there will be another opportunity for me to experience my roots. Until then, we wait......
A Little Off.........
No comments:
Post a Comment