Surprise, surprise!

Chrish was home from school when I got home! I did the footloose and fancy free act by taking a ride out to Bicentennial Woods right from work. I deserved it after being trapped indoors all day and listening to everyone say how sublime the weather was. I changed into jeans, but forgot my hiking shoes so the extra weight of chaps, leather coat, biker boots and a 10 lb. backpack made the trek a real calorie burner. The new bridge is in, but there's no easy way to get to it. There's another small bridge that needs to be added over a side stream before the bridge can be accessed without getting knee deep in some serious looking mud. I wanted to make it all the way to the back of the preserve to see my tree, so that meant taking the long way around unless I wanted to risk the danger of a spill into the stinky river with all my leathers, camera, IPOD, and backpack. When I got to the end of the Sassafras trail, I found my tree was still in fine shape, weathering all the wind and rain without any loss of its staghorns. I was listening to my IPOD, but when I reached my tree, I heard something even louder than my music. I pulled out the earbuds and discovered I was surrounded by woodpeckers who sounded like they'd attended one too many republican conventions, because they were taking the "Drill, Baby, Drill" chant to heart. I never did see them, but they followed me all along the Wetlands trail. I love those magical moments at dusk when the forest really starts stirring. It was a long trek out since I had to cross the bridge and then hike all the way around to the back of the preserve and back out to avoid the mud. When I got to the bridge, there was a family on the middle of it with a little toddler. I was just thinking how wonderful it was that they were out in the woods quietly enjoying nature with their child, when the Dad started bellowing at the top of his lungs at his child. Maybe they were embarrassed because as soon as they saw me, they took off for the entrance on the short trail. I listened to them fussing and shouting all the way out. They probably ruined at least a couple hundred dollars worth of shoes slogging through the mud and water. I should have headed right home, but instead I couldn't resist stopping in to see Jay. He was sporting a new hair cut and looking fine, but he was in the middle of homework and I didn't want to interrupt so I headed home. When I pulled in the driveway, I could tell Chrish was home. The house was lit up like a Christmas tree. We went through this funny role reversal with him asking me if I'd had a nice ride? and where I went? at the same time that he was exaggeratedly fanning the cupboard doors. I innocently asked him if he was hungry and you can guess the answer to that!