mesmerized

In Illinois, I liked to get to a forest preserve for a long peaceful walk, either in the woods or on the open prairies. Inti was always ready for that, as was Dale, and earlier in her life, Duffy. After the place at the end of our street was closed to pets, I had to drive in order to walk. My daytime driving was on open roads, highways mostly. To get to Danada or Fullersburg, Ogden Avenue or Butterfield Road - two lanes each way, in the flatlands.

Here, my daytime drives are usually on country roads, twisty, winding affairs with barely two lanes, and the woods close to the shoulder of the road. With the sun so low in the sky, there are long shadows from the bare trees thrown across the road, and across my moving car. The contrast and movement creates a blinking sensation, a mesmerizing effect. I find myself losing my eye focus, and entering a trance-like state. Not good when behind the wheel, I should think.

Remembering our lovely sojourns back at druid labs midwest, I am jonesing right now for such a walk. I'd like to get to Applegate and take a couple of laps on its 2-mile forest path, but it's hunting season. It's privately-owned land - held by the Land Trust of NJ, and hunting is allowed even though the area functions as a public park. (If I've deciphered the Fish and Wildlife web pages correctly, today isn't actually a hunt day, but yesterday was, for muzzle loaders. Do hunters pay attention to such things? Did I, in fact, read the dates correctly for each type of game and weapon?) So unless I want to drive 10 miles to the reservoir, I'd be taking chances out there.

Well, I guess it's going to be a mesmerizing drive and a walk at the reservoir. Not all bad, I suppose. It would be nice to have some company, someone interested in bird-watching, someone who'd want to share the sunshine and waterscape with me. Jill is a weanie and can't abide the cold (criminy, it's almost 40 degrees today with gentle breezes). Inti is pretty good company, but not much on conversation.