RAVINE TRAIL
Howdy Friends! On the trail yesterday. Only a short ride from our house through the woods is what I call our “Ravine Trail.” It’s God’s beauty on full display. I first blazed this trail in 2011. It’s here we discovered that old oak. A towering oak we measured and dated to have been a sapling when Patrick Henry declared, “Give me liberty or give me death.”
Here in this ravine we’ve seen deer, bear, foxes, turtles, snakes (some in trees!) and skunks. And you bet dozens and dozens of bird species. I even added the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo to my life list here. And we saw only my second American Woodcock!
The stream here I named “25 waterfalls,” because, well, it has over 25 waterfalls. On its banks each spring we see every sort of wildflower. From Dutchmen’s Breeches to Trillium and even Lady Slippers! One of my favorites is to watch hummingbirds on the cardinal flowers. Sweet little wild violets and wild irises decorate too.
Patches of Joe Pie Weed bring summer butterflies. Often we’ll stop and try to count the species and admire the delicate beauty as the flit and flutter.
In season great patches of blackberries, where once we startled a snacking bear. And ferns of many varieties, some so tall they tickle Rosie’s belly.
And let’s not forget spider webs! Yesterday Rosie walked into one so massive it stopped her! And she backed out of it!
Snow days are fun too. We’ll go slowly along and study tracks left by so many forest dwellers who use our well worn trail.
One of our silliest adventures on the Ravine Trail was the day a long black snake was sunning full length on the trail. Try as I might, I could not convince Rosie to pass by. It seemed a bear shredding a stump only a few weeks before only warranted a sideways spook, but a black snake sleeping ,was a full stop and reverse!
The ravine is surrounded by thousands of acres of cultivated pine forest, adding to the remoteness of it. Never a ride that fails to offer beauty just the way God intended to be enjoyed. And by golly we do.
Have a splendid day, hope you enjoyed the Ravine Trail. ~ Gitty Up, Dutch.
Hi Dutch! I’ve listened to you for years on Jacks Backyard and always enjoy hearing your stories and poems and of course being a horse lover myself I love hearing about Rosie! Thank you so very much for everything you do! Are you planning on writing a book with all your poems? Take care and have a wonderful day! God Bless you !very best, Jeanne
Thank you Jeanne! Not so much a book of my musings. But I do consider doing a book of my “Old man on the porch” stories. They go like this — Howdy Friends! The old man studied the lad’s face. Took a sip of coffee. “Well son, it’s easy. Think on this. He pushed back his hat, “bees don’t waste their time explainin’ to flies that honey is better than horse manure.” ~ Gitty Up, Dutch. — Do you like the old man?