This morning I walked the dogs. When we got to the mountain paths above my home I noticed that there were several hikers up there with us. I looked high up on the hill and spotted one person walking his two dogs right where I was headed. It annoyed me.

I'm sure he was no different than me. It's just that he was up on the hill and I wasn't. With them in my spot the odds of seeing any deer was almost zero. All winter I had the hills to my self and I had the feeling that they were mine. I rarely saw any other humans. And never saw any human tracks above 5200 feet.

Warmer weather has brought these mountains to life. Instead of seeing the deer herds I've been noticing other things. There are other signs of wildlife. During this walk I watched three hawks working along the hillside, gliding in a north/south path just above me. They were obviously birds-of-prey and they were obviously hunting.

These raptors didn't pose any threat to me or the boys. Still, if I had a chihuahua (extremely unlikely) I wouldn't let it roam these hills unattended.

I've slowed down a bit with age. But being slower has its advantages. I walk less and spend more time looking around. I miss the solitude of the winter months. Now I need to look for the good in a more crowded mountain. A mountain that I share........
9:47:28 PM    comment []