Saturday, October 24, 2020

A WALK IN THE WOODS

 


 

 I have a love-hate relationship with my existence here in the Tennessee wilderness. I could have afforded a better house in which to live. I could have chosen a place located closer to town.

My reasons for being here are far too numerous to mention, so I'll make it short and sweet:
for the first time in my vast and varied life I wanted peace and privacy away from the maddening mass of civilization.

In the profound innocence of my romantically-inclined nature, however, I hadn't expected all the inconveniences and complications.

After nearly six years in this hopelessly small abode I still haven't  found room for all my possessions. Most of the things are stored in the garage - rotting in dampness and mildew.  I'm infested with mice. Wild animals hold all-night orgies on (and in) my roof - ripping it to shreds. My battles with snakes and insects are legendary.

The terrain is so hilly and muddy that I've sustained numerous serious falls - one of which completely destroyed my spine.

 I won't mention the brush and "weeds" that quickly grow to heights of fifteen feet (no lie) due to the incredible amount of rain. Or the zillion-mile journey to town which I have to endure for the supplies I need.

Kall me krazy, but despite all the negatives, there are still innumerable positives.
On these intoxicating autumn days, when I step outside my door and see the surrounding wonders of nature, I have no regrets.

October has been particularly glorious this year.  Yesterday afternoon (Friday) I ventured outside to wander through the woods on my property.

And I thought:
How many other people have the luxury of a forest just outside their back door?

A view from my back porch. Some of the leaves turned colors early this year, but the foliage won't really peak until next week.


 

I decided to use my trusty El Cheapo camera rather than my cell phone. It's much easier. This is a view right near the back porch. I love that yellow tree in the background.

Entrance to the forest, which is actually only a few feet from the house. I like these extremely tall trees but hope they won't blow over in a fierce wind.


Everything was slick and muddy due to recent rain. I had to endure gnat and mosquito bites, giant spider webs, impossible tangles of vines, and razor-sharp thorns - - but other than that, my venture was a delight.

My camera batteries died halfway through my excursion and I had to trek home to replace them - but it was worth the trouble.


 

After having a delightfully cool September, Indian Summer seems to have arrived. It was 81 balmy degrees on Thursday (that's Fahrenheit, for those of you in Bora Bora). Friday was in the 70s...and I'm eating ice cream again....

The fermentation of my apple wine is nearly complete and it should be ready to consume next week. I sampled a tiny taste of it last night and it was good. Kinda like hard cider.

BTW-

I also made some BISCUITS last night and the can didn't explode (see my previous post).
I read the label carefully and it says to use the biscuits before the expiration date on the can

I didn't even know there were expiration dates on the cans....

That might be the reason the cans have been exploding....

30 comments:

  1. Beautiful walk through the woods. The red, orange, yellow and green leaves against the bright blue sky reminded me of stained glass art. Your woods are glorious at this time of year! I am glad you took pictures and showed us.

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    1. This is such a beautiful time of year that I never get tired of walking through the woods and taking photos. I'm planning to take more this coming week.

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  2. Intoxicating, absolutely! It's raining here ... again, and the internet keeping going out ... again. Off-topic, but I nearly squealed at your second sentence. Call me a Grammar Nazi, but I still gnash my teeth when someone ends their sentences in a preposition. (Hubby: "Where are you at?") Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox now. Hope your Today is a pleasant one!

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    1. You hit a nerve with me, Myra - I absolutely HATE it when someone says "Where's it at?" and it's becoming more prevalent than ever. I am admittedly a fellow Grammar Nazi.
      After several blessedly dry days, it started raining here last night and the temperature dropped.

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  3. I do live in a forest and I don't have quite the trouble you have. Right now I would not trade our place for anything.
    We started with a falling down cottage and revamped it 4 yrs ago.
    It looks wonderful there.
    Waving hello from the wilds of Wisconsin.

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    1. It must be wonderful to have a forest cottage in beautiful Wisconsin! This is the first time in my life that I ever had complete peace and privacy and - despite the inconveniences - I love it.

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  4. I seem to never tire of looking at foliage. These are spectacular. I bet these were taken with your new phone!?!

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    1. I plan to take more photos next week. And I used my old Kodak Easy Share camera instead of the cell phone, because it was easier.

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  5. Everything has expiration dates now. I shudder to think how many "bad" eggs I've probably eaten. (before I knew about the float test) Your place is gorgeous with its spectacular fall color. We're not getting much so far this year so I'm enjoying yours a lot. Hoping that our current colder weather will bring out some color here.

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    1. I usually check expiration dates, but never thought they had them on cans of biscuits. When I lived in the Missouri Ozarks I got salmonella from eating eggs and was NEVER so sick in my entire life. I've been extremely careful concerning eggs ever since.

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  6. We have had a gorgeous autumn here as well. I love the contrast of colors in your photo with the yellow tree. Expiration dates can be confusing. I’ve noticed some items, like milk, now have ‘sell by’ dates instead. I guess you have to decide for yourself when to throw it out?

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    1. Those "sell by" dates are becoming more prevalent, but I prefer the "use by" dates. The local milk that I buy always seems to go bad before the expiration date - which is extremely frustrating.

      This has been one of the nicest autumns in the six years that I've been here and I'm really enjoying it!

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  7. Enjoy that color! We are having a RARE color our here in Iowa. Cheryl thinks it was that cold snap we had a couple weeks ago that did not kill things with a frost, but triggered the colors. I have never seen Iowa as colorful as this year. Normally, the leaves just begin to turn and a strong wind blows them all down. OR a killing frost nukes them all. Even then, most of Iowa is only gold and brown. Rather boring colors. I love the wilderness... but I have never been fond of the bugs.

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    1. This has been an exceptional autumn and I'm loving it. The foliage has turned colors earlier than usual. We only had one frost so far and it didn't seem to affect the leaves. Unfortunately nothing seems to bother the bugs - except ice and snow. Last week there was an influx of stink bugs.

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  8. Beautiful photos Jon! And the apple wine sounds perfect for an autumn night - no matter the temperature. Don't laugh but are there bears in those woods of yours? Have you ever seen one? ๐Ÿท ๐Ÿ‚ ๐Ÿงก ๐ŸŽƒ ๐Ÿงก ๐Ÿ‚ ๐Ÿท

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    1. There aren't any bears around here (thank goodness) and I generally feel safe in the woods (but with my luck I'll probably get mauled by Bigfoot...).
      There are plenty of coyotes and wild dogs, but they only roam around at night.
      Homemade wine gives me the courage to live here......lol

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  9. your forest is breathtaking as the leaves change. enjoy every moment.

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    1. Autumn has revived my weary soul, which is something I desperately needed. My only regret is that it's much too brief. In another week November will be here, with the bleak onset of winter. Take care,and big hugs.

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  10. Hey Jon - bet you never expected to hear from me again! Alas, the Blogger "upgrade" makes it impossible for me to comment on most blogs (including my own!).

    However, I do read every single one of your new posts - and you are like a candle in the wind to me (sorry, I am a huge Elton John fan).

    So much of your past and current struggles remind me of my own, etc. I understand why you are considering abandoning your blog at the end of this quite wretched year.

    However, please know that you will be much missed: You are a truly talented writer/poet. And your great words inspire many to carry on - even when the candle is on the brink of losing its much needed light. Your words have empowered me more times than I can count.

    And I cannot say that about very many people...

    Dylan


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    1. Hey, Dylan - what a wonderful surprise! I was seriously considering abandoning my blog, but it's one of the few positive things I have left in life - and good people like you help keep me going...

      Lately I feel as fragile as a candle in the wind...and I love the Elton John song (it was especially touching when he sang the revised version at Princess Diana's funeral - I'll never forget that).

      This new Blogger format has infuriated many bloggers and caused more trouble than it's worth. I'm glad you were finally able to leave a comment.

      I always have a passion for unleashing my inner thoughts and pent-up frustrations, but(unfortunately) try to restrain myself on my blog. I've admittedly lost a few readers in the past because they thought some of my posts were too depressing. Only kindred spirits like ourselves can fully understand intense emotional turmoil.
      Take care and keep in touch. Hugs and Luv, Jon

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  11. Living in a forest is living the dream for so many people. It doesn't sound like it's always a good dream, perhaps sometimes a nightmare, but I am glad that at the end of the day you find it worthwhile.

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    1. Hi, Jenny - it's so good to hear from you. I hope all is well in your neck of the woods. Autumn seems to be passing much too quickly this year, but I'm savoring every moment.

      Living in the wilderness can be a dream at times, despite the occasional unexpected (and unwanted) nightmares. I suppose life would be boring without challenges.... Take care and thanks for stopping by.

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  12. Hi Jon, so glad to read that the foliage and forest walk have brought you a sense of enjoyment and peace because you have surely had many tough times. It’s exactly WHY we have been going out on as day trips to just getaway and walk unmasked outdoors, quite socially distanced with no directional arrows instructing which direction to walk. Your fall colors are beautiful and how wonderful to have your own private forest!
    BTW I do miss seeing your comments on my own blog posts and wonder if you have any thoughts on why there’s been an issue. Glad that I am able to comment on your posts and that you continue to post your thoughts and life experiences.

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    1. Living here in the boonies isn't as easy and carefree as I initially thought - but, despite the problems, I'm content. At this point in my life I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

      Your day trips are always fascinating and I enjoy reading about them. It is nourishment for the soul to be able to get outside and enjoy nature.

      I think I've solved the problem concerning leaving comments on blogs. I updated Firefox/Mozilla and it seems to have alleviated my computer trouble. I'll visit your blog again soon.

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  13. Simply breath-taking photos, Jon! Made me smile and feel good.

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    1. I'm glad you enjoyed my excursion into the woods! Autumn is truly the most gorgeous and emotionally satisfying time of the year. My only complaint is that it's too brief. I wish it would last forever.

      I've been having trouble leaving comments on blogs lately - but I think I finally solved the problem by updating my search engine.

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  14. I noticed someone asked you about bears where you live. Here in Missouri we are having a return of black bears in South St Louis County, and other areas not that far from St Louis. The one in South St Louis County was spotted not too far from a subdivision. So black bears are back from near extinction. I don't know what kind of bears were common to your area, but they may be coming back where you are too.

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    1. It's rather unusual (not to mention unnerving) to have an influx of black bears near St. Louis. I wonder what might be causing it? I use to live in Springfield, MO and never saw any bears.

      I was surprised to recently learn that there ARE black bears here in Tennessee, but only on the eastern border. I live only a few miles from the Kentucky border.

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  15. Beautiful pictures Jon. Autumn is truly the most beautiful time of the year. Too often the height of the color is missed because of rain. I hope you have plenty of sunny days. As far as living in the country, that's where I lived in Pennsylvania, seven acres on the side of a hill. Beautiful but isolated but not as isolated as you are in Tennessee. I live in a neighborhood development now and it is perfect. I have the best of both worlds, privacy and non isolation. At my age and with my infirmities I can't take the chance of living alone in the woods.

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    1. Hi, Ron -it's great to hear from you! This is such a beautiful time of year. I love the solitude of the wilderness, but I'm definitely apprehensive about living here alone - - especially with my increasing health issues. Every year seems to get more difficult and complicated.

      I hope things are going well for you. Take it easy and keep in touch!

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I love comments. Go ahead and leave one - I won't bite. But make sure you have a rabies shot just in case.