halfshellvenus (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
halfshellvenus) wrote2026-05-30 04:06 pm
halfshellvenus) wrote2026-05-30 04:06 pm
News from outdoors
My son and I went for a walk/hike along the parkway on Memorial Day. 6 miles, which I previously would have considered a short hike when I was walking or running at least once a week. Now? My feet were sore by the end of it. But my plantar fasciitis is definitely better, because after a day of rest, my feet were fine.
We saw a coyote, which might have only been our son's second sighting of one? It would have been the first, but there was a coyote on our front lawn a couple of weeks ago. Not good. :(
Tuesday, I was out there biking again, and at my last turnaround point (a nice shady spot), I saw what looked the the biggest, fattest caterpillar ever shuffling across the pavement! When I got closer, I saw that it was a tiny mole. :O I haven't seen a mole since I was a kid, when we were out digging in the yard for one of my dad's interminable child labor projects. Possibly the summer we made a French drain? Anyway, my brother put the shovel in the ground, and it came out with a large mole on top of the dirt. Ewwwww, but those things are ugly. We put it in an empty Folgers coffee can, and my brother later walked it several blocks up the road to release it into the forest patch that abutted our property.
My husband's wildlife sighting beats mine, though. He was out riding his recumbent trike yesterday, and had to slow because a skunk and her babies were crossing the path. He gave them a wide berth, which I think could have ended badly. I would have waited until they were all the way across and out of sight!
Speaking of skunks, I've decided the odor at the downriver spot where I turn around is skunk and not weed. That's because the mystery construction project beyond the clump of tall bushes there has moved much closer, and you can't smoke weed while working construction. Fortunately, the smell has cleared away from the surrounding areas. Nearby, I biked past one of my favorite smells: the sweet, peppery aroma given off by the buds of wild grapes. No idea why they smell like that this time of year, but it's very consistent!
Do you all have plans for the weekend? We're going out for a belated anniversary dinner tonight, and then tomorrow I need to get my new laptop running. Always a chore...
We saw a coyote, which might have only been our son's second sighting of one? It would have been the first, but there was a coyote on our front lawn a couple of weeks ago. Not good. :(
Tuesday, I was out there biking again, and at my last turnaround point (a nice shady spot), I saw what looked the the biggest, fattest caterpillar ever shuffling across the pavement! When I got closer, I saw that it was a tiny mole. :O I haven't seen a mole since I was a kid, when we were out digging in the yard for one of my dad's interminable child labor projects. Possibly the summer we made a French drain? Anyway, my brother put the shovel in the ground, and it came out with a large mole on top of the dirt. Ewwwww, but those things are ugly. We put it in an empty Folgers coffee can, and my brother later walked it several blocks up the road to release it into the forest patch that abutted our property.
My husband's wildlife sighting beats mine, though. He was out riding his recumbent trike yesterday, and had to slow because a skunk and her babies were crossing the path. He gave them a wide berth, which I think could have ended badly. I would have waited until they were all the way across and out of sight!
Speaking of skunks, I've decided the odor at the downriver spot where I turn around is skunk and not weed. That's because the mystery construction project beyond the clump of tall bushes there has moved much closer, and you can't smoke weed while working construction. Fortunately, the smell has cleared away from the surrounding areas. Nearby, I biked past one of my favorite smells: the sweet, peppery aroma given off by the buds of wild grapes. No idea why they smell like that this time of year, but it's very consistent!
Do you all have plans for the weekend? We're going out for a belated anniversary dinner tonight, and then tomorrow I need to get my new laptop running. Always a chore...
no subject
I just posted an update - I will be here on DW from now on.
I left Facebook because it was affecting my mood.
Raven