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....

END OF THE WARMTH

 
Friday:
An entire week of delicious warmth  lingered like a summer embrace, intoxicating the senses and sweeping the late afternoon sky with mysterious specters that might have been clouds.

 
Saturday:
An unexpected chilling rain arrived late Friday night, drenching all remnants of summer memories and reminding idle dreamers that winter is poised in the wings with angry claws. A cutting wind and a drastic drop in temperatures rendered Saturday bone-bitingly cold.

Sometimes I'm so damned poetic that I actually admire myself.

I'm writing this post after midnight on Saturday night, and the temperature is now well below freezing. I have no intention of welcoming winter with a smile.

I took advantage of the warm weather last week. Armed with my El Cheapo camera, I clumsily trekked through the woods in my back yard and photographed the last of the autumn foliage.

With the leaves quickly shedding, I'm able to see glimpses of the neighboring mountain.

Yea, I know - - they're not exactly gigantic mountains. I've actually seen bigger tits in Beverly Hills. But here in Tennessee we call them mountains. And I like it that way.

 What's with those new "watermark" thingies on my photos?

I'm getting territorial in my old age. Not to mention paranoid. Overstep your boundaries and I'll shoot.

My cat Scruffy accompanied me on one of my walks through the woods. She's cute as hell (or maybe heck), but nearly made me trip numerous times.
And my back is still agonizingly painful, ever since I fell on the ice last winter.

 Autumn is much too brief. A fleeting sonnet of love, a sweet song of light at the edge of enormous dusk, a cherished memory in fading mists.....
I'll miss you.