It’s a bit early for pawpaws but the last time I was out I saw a few large ones hanging so today I thought I’d hike around and check ripeness. Looks like they need a few more weeks. Autumnal Equinox is a good guide as to when it’s time to head out and begin the harvest. I didn’t see a single dropped fruit so that’s a good indicator that they aren’t ripe at all yet. Plenty of fruit hanging in the trees for sure. Hopefully can make it back out in a few weeks. Really enjoyed the hike. The forest was lush and still very green. Lots of mushrooms, toads, turtles, crows and bones to see. I even saw the bald eagle again but still no photos to share.
A mild August with plenty of rain has given us lush green growth everywhere. The horse trail was rough going as usual and my mud-covered shoes looked like hooves themselves by the time I was done for the day. Lots of spider webs too which means I was the first person going through here on this day. I’m not sure how much use these trails get during the week but they obviously get plenty of traffic.
Days of rain with more to come means I’m doing less mountain biking and more hiking. Not entirely a bad thing as hiking allows me to move at a slower pace and appreciate the budding life all around me in the woods. Usually things are drying out and getting crispy around the edges at this point in August. Not the case at all this year.
Taking a break in the storms to make a much needed visit to the honey hole and pull out a few fish. Lots of small guys with an occasional decent catfish. The water was great and the cloud cover was a welcome relief from the summer sun. Really enjoy days like this when I spend hours outdoors and never see another soul. True serenity.
I finally had a chance to get out and do some shore fishing. June is a great month to fish though it’s a bit late in the month now. I hit a few spots that I’ve been wanting to try and after dodging poison ivy and scrambling up and down huge drainage areas with no fish to show for it, I crossed over to below the dam and worked the spillway where I’ve had luck in the past. It was just a perfect day and a much needed time immersed in the woods with the wind blowing and the water flowing.
Took a day walk through a local park to see the first signs of life (and death) in the waking woods. Did some tree identification exercises and found a few surprises while I was at it. Looking forward to having leaves on branches to help me in that pursuit.
