With exceptional warmth underway as the norm of winter weather, it is an obvious time to get out and along into significant wild settings, using available horse power, well fed to make certain of a steady ride.
A seemingly false spring? The daytime's a time to travel to lands of wonder so sublime and hidden beneath form and structure.
It started with what Black Elk conveyed. There was a mystic association to be derived from the name and its green. At the same land space was Quail Hollow, an obvious natural aspect sprung forth. Listen and look for the never-more call of the bobwhite. Winter doves were in the basin. A gathering of finches called from a treetop. Among the woods spread across many square feet of space, were tree-loving chickadees.
Resonance of the Red-bellied Woodpecker conveyed a sublime indication by its persistent hammerings upon bark of a standing tree.
The theme of specially named places continued its expression two days later. It was a Monday, and onward was a trail supported by essential horse power.
By early afternoon the cheery Black-capped Chickadees were obvious among the diversity of trees that help establish the nature of the west, fair acres. The calls of the feathered residents could be a harbinger of spring, but it's not even February. The scene was a stop at a work camp along the path of the day. Hammer hard, break-apart and then carry away the unwanted surface was the chore for some time.
Then more travel -- associated with the job -- meant riding onward. Pawnee Road was soon reached after making a way along the bluffs of the hills some distance from the Missouri River. Further along in the miles, was Pheasant Point.
There were not any grouse, and not even a prairie-chicken. Two Red-tailed Hawks perched in some minimalist trees along the questionable creek. A Blue Jay used the same space.
Once done with the weigh and pay, onward the steady ride continued. Wild geese walked upon some of the ice majority at Lake Bennington, known for its namesake.
Other places of some twisted or not, naturistic sort were bypassed. There was nearby Heron Haven which pigeons found suitable this month. Southward, a Copper's Hawk was noticed near the Miracle Hills, with its unspoken message. There was a lack of bird activity at the east-to-west links known as Deer Creek.
Back at the west fairacres, additional birds of an American sort were active. The robin and crow were readily obvious as the sun shone on a day, mostly pleasant outside.
Travels for this narrative of one way, was nearly done in going eastward, going past Mulberry Lane along the fair avenue. A relative short ride to the east, beyond the hill up there, was an unobvious George Lake near northern Wood Creek.
Wild passage pigeons flew along above the memorial place, which as a parkland sort-of-place was active with throngs of dusky visitors.
Further along a short ways, a flock of the American Crow were gathering for their nightly adventure, just west of the well-known Happy Hollow.
Thus closes a three day period with hard-road traverses, including crossing over hazardous creeks, avoiding lake entrapments, skirting tree grove obstructions, and past swatches of grass. It finally ended in Carthage, especially known as a Canadian community, and which dominantly continues its foreign character.
The bird tally was 15 species of a stupendous sort from an urbane perspective. The names are evocative in conveying a forlorn nature nearly most obvious by words on wood.