But alas, we just missed the sunset.
It was worth a try. The mosquitoes were swarming and relentless though, and I managed to swallow one as I panted up the hill. That will set you on a coughing fit. I couldn't believe how thick the swarms were. I wonder if the lack of bats this year has much to do with it...
I chanced West Nile Virus and Bird Flu to bring you, faithful readers, these images:
On the way back down the hill I saw where the little pests were probably spawning from; In the fading light, I could make out a vernal pool of considerable size nearby the trail:
I've got to find my wildflower identification book that went missing a couple weeks ago. Until turns up I'll have to look at cool plants like this, and not be sure what I'm looking at (though I believe this is Wild Columbine)...
The new hikers performed admirably, I think they are going to work out.
May they see many miles...
4 comments:
Those are good looking shoes. Where did you get them?
I ended up getting them at Dick's. (after scouring the locally owned stores, but not finding anything that appealed to me - Thinking Local First...)
They might have to go back though, they didn't have my size, so I went with a half-size down (but still a half a size bigger than my old ones, confused yet? - but they still feel a little tight after some use. which is really excactly the reason I had to replace my original LL Bean hikers in the first place.
I think what you said in a post once about arches falling as you get older, is what's happening to me, as my shoe size apparantly has gone up a whole size in the past couple years...
Nice boots.
I have to agree about the gnats and mosquitoes - they've been almost intolerable here in the woods lately in South Amherst. But we tough it out, huh?
I'm not sure if there's an actual over abundance of the mosquitos/gnats this year, or if we're still just re-adjusting the the season.
It's always tempting to think the worst, when we're bombarded with news like 'White-Nose Syndromes', Honey Bee die-offs etc...
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