Today is a very cold, windy but, sunny day. I don't think the temperature got over 37 degrees. As near as I can figure; it is also Douglas's birthday. He is five years old, I think. Well; Douglas is a rescue dog and I was told he was five months old when I got him. Five years old is close if not entirely accurate. I decided to spend the day with only him. Just like the old days, we would roam about the forest and look for things to get interested in together. That isn't hard to do with a couple of wanderers like us. We pulled into a grove of trees down at the ruins area of the old state park along Tellico Lake. I decided to stay well up on the side of the mountain above the water but, below the top of the hills to avoid the wind. It didn't take long for Douglas to make friends with a squirrel. Sort of. The squirrel went up a tree and Douglas begged him to come down. The squirrel would have none of it.
"Hey squirrel; come on down."
He's really zeroed in on that squirrel. "Come boy."
The wind could be heard blowing over the top of the hill above. We must try to stay away from the top. We aren't the only one's staying below the wind swept top of the mountain. The area here is full of robins in flocks. They seem to be proving out that old saying; birds of a feather flock together. They were everywhere. Occasionally a yellow rumped warbler would appear. Like last week; the downy woodpeckers were numerous. They would hop up the tree trunks and flit from limb to limb inspecting crevasses and loose pieces of bark. One particular robin was voicing his displeasure at our presence.
The yellow rumped warbler is a beautiful little guy. His presence is appreciated.
We broke out of the trees and underbrush and struck the old road that goes into the lake. I was impressed with the view down the road. I expected to see Alice walking back from Wonderland on that little piece of road..
We would walk up the road and cross the fields adjacent to the old ruins. I like to walk along the pathways that lead through the tall willowy brown grass.
I love the lay of this land. The bronze grass is tall. The trees surrounding this field block the high winds and only allow gentle breezes to touch the tops of the grass making it appear to flow as if water.
The united golden stalks appear to be combed hair upon the earth. Individual stalks of grass appear as an artist's creation.
The grasses are beautiful. Douglas feels the same way.
It's nearly time to leave and head back. It is very, very cold. Douglas is staying close to me and that means he is becoming tired. We'll head back to the truck. "Douglas; Come."
I hate to take him home. He is in his element here. His eyes get big and they light up with happiness every time we come down here. But, we'll be back many, many more times. We loaded up and headed home. While traveling down Morganton Road I noticed what I thought was plywood cutouts of deer. I drove on past. Then I saw one of the cutouts move. I got the truck turned around and we stopped along the road next to the property of interest. Below is what we saw.
What a beautiful sight!
I can imagine the photo's I could get from inside that house
A few deer break away from the yard. We are making them nervous. I'll take a couple more shots and move away.
I'm so happy that Tennessee has so much wild territory. It isn't over populated in this area. There is still a lot of wilderness. Animals are very prevalent in the area. Cherokee National Forest lies just a bit South of here. This is a main reason I chose this area to live.
Simply amazing. Beautiful and grand to watch. We are near home and a cup of hot coffee is needed. I know Douglas is hungry, and tired. I'll wind this outing down now. I have plans for a very interesting post in the near future. The bald eagles are active at a nest I usually watch. They are flying to their nest carrying "limb" size pieces of wood to reinforce their nest, which is the size of a Volkswagen. This year will mark the fourth year this same pair of eagles has reared young from this nest. I have observed three sets of fledglings leave that nest. I need a day warmer than 40 degrees and some mild flowing water to float the Gheenoe safely and get the pictures I hope for. The particular stretch of water I need to be on is usually fast moving because it lies close to the outflow of a dam. So, keep watch. Until next time; be kind to a dog. Help them. Happy Birthday Douglas.
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