A Dry Walk


 Yesterday morning the dog and I went for a walk down over the hill to the creek bottoms.   This is a photo of the creek bed.  We went quite a way down it.  It is always sort of sad to see it dry like this, but it's interesting to see the bottom as well.  You can see how the water carves its way around the big boulders and forms the sand and lighter rocks into berms and banks.  

I didn't get pictures of it on this walk, but there are a couple of large trees fallen across the creek bed, which totally changed it, as the water, when there IS water, has swirled and carved out the gravel under it.

This is something that never gets old to me; that the creek is never the same from season to season.  Even now, after a drought all summer, it is filled up with fall leaves and brush and dead limbs that have fallen from overhead.  The wind shapes the leaves into clearings and piles where you have to watch your step.  I am probably risking a twisted ankle at the very least when I walk down there, but it is restful for the soul.  Plus it's fun to watch the dog run and enjoy herself.  She loves to run up and down the steep banks sniffing and exploring.  Rarely does she ever bother to chase the few deer we surprise.  She spends most of her time looking up into the trees for squirrels.  This time of year is fairly disappointing in the squirrel hunting sport for her; the cold weather has them holed up, snoozing on top of their nut stashes.  But that doesn't stop her from looking for them.

We usually spend maybe 45 minutes to an hour down there before I head for home again.  Bella is almost 10 now, and she runs out of steam a bit sooner than she used to.  So do I.  At some point I am going to have to use the Mule to get up and down the ridge, but for now I am able to haul myself up it.  Haha...  I put the dog on her lead and she helps pull me up.  We have fun.

Comments

Donna. W said…
Oh, I recall the days when I could get up and down the sides of our canyons in back. I'm sure glad I did those things when I could.
November 26, 2023 at 11:25 AM
Calfkeeper said…
Yes, I think often of that myself. At some point I will start taking the Mule to get myself up and down the ridge. It is pretty flat in the creek bottoms, so once I get down there I'll be able to ramble. But strangely enough, it bothers my knees more to go down than to come back up.
November 29, 2023 at 6:31 AM
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