Colors of Now

I took some of these photos at the Robert C and Rosella C Johnson Nature Preserve on Chapman Rd in Perry Township. When I pulled into the parking lot, another car pulled in with a couple inside. I didn't want to infringe on their privacy so I quickly hit the trail, hiked all the way around the preserve, down the canyon to the creek and back up, then found a nice perch overhanging the creek. Who should come down the trail but the Horngeke with an attractive blonde in tow! He introduced me as Julie, a "biker chick" from the hood. When the Horngeke remarked that this preserve was very small, I told them they could follow the trail to the road, go down another quarter mile to a trail that dropped down the canyon to the creek, and then on to another preserve if their legs weren't too rubbery from the climb back up. They strolled off and I was left reflecting on how funny it was to run into them in the middle of the woods. I hope they enjoyed the day and the beautiful weather as much as I did. There were quite a few people out enjoying the weather, but I was really after covering some miles so I drove the short distance down the road to Bicentennial Woods and hiked that whole preserve too. I stopped to pay homage to my sassafras tree, but this time of year when everything is beginning to go dormant is so melancholy. there really wasn't much color in the woods. I must admit that I do like hiking with the underbrush so low that you can see a great distance. It makes it easier to imagine what it must have been like 200 years ago. The noise of all the crunchy leaves also makes it easier to hear animals moving. I saw what I thought were the hindquarters of a deer moving, but it was so low to the ground that I may have seen it as it was gaining its feet. By the time I stumped back to the car I was ready to head back to Hyde's to share lunch and a glass of wine with J. I had just picked up my knitting when James and his lady friend stopped in to chat about his trip to Hollywood where he attended the Dylan show. It's always a pleasure and a bit of a surprise to see James and his pretty blue eyes.