I decided to try something a little different this time. Please click on the little caption sign on the lower left of the screen. I want you to join me once again on a walk through the woods. After working on the wood pile, Dave heard me say I wanted to walk through the woods. He says I know just the spot. The start is in the trees just behind the house. Here we go.....Let's start off slow, and let me know if you get out of breath. The slope is getting a little steeper. Hmmmm maybe I was not as in shape as I thought. Of course the air is thinner here. We come to a spot where the trees are a little thinner. We have stopped a few times on the way, and Dave says, "Now, turn around and look." His voice told me long before I turned to look that this was going to be something special. The view took what little breath I had left away. I was speechless,(pretty amazing for me). Dave says he takes this walk a few times a year. As we get further up, he stops again. The trees open up, and you can see the river off in the distance. The trees are all colors and absolutely amazing. He shows us where he has taken out some of the trees to encourage others to grow. We turn and see huge blocks of granite, just poised on the edge, looking like they could just tumble off the hill. Every once in awhile, we would trip over the tree roots that were buried under the fallen leaves. He pointed out some places where the granite is covered with moss. He said on some days, when the sun hits it right, you can see it shining from below. Once we made it to the top, and rested, we headed down. We didn't take the slow and easy way. In some places, we all ended up on our butts at least once. With Dave as our guide, we felt safe and secure. I knew he had walked this before. We didn't just walk. We would stop at sights and he would explain. Like the wood burl. Those grow only on cherry trees. If you get one large enough, you cut it off and make a bowl out of it. You can see the growth rings all through the bowl. It is caused by a fungus, but an amazing thing. Just before we left the woods, Dave took us to his, for want of any better word "Cedar Cathedral". He has left the trees alone here. The deer have made their home. He told us when he walks here, and stays for a while, the deer will come out and eat, even while he is watching. It is cool there but also beautiful. The cedars create a great windbreak and keep the deer safe and warm in the winter as well. By the time we came off the trail, I felt again that we had walked where few men had been. Amazing.....and incredible. I hope you enjoy the views as much as we did.
