The animals came out to play

It was a busy day in the woods. The sun was out, the wind was slight, and the temperatures were warmer than they'd been in a while. The animals came out to play because they know the winter is coming soon.

	The deer were thick yesterday. With the rut just around the corner, they're stocking up on calories and paying little attention to anything else. I saw so many of them yesterday that the thrill kind of wore off. They'd walk in to my campsite, wheeze and stomp, stand still, and then run off when they couldn't figure out just what it was they were seeing.
	Rocky, here, climbed right up the tree I was hanging from and began to chatter at me. After a while he headed off to gather more nuts for winter. You can tell a squirrel in the woods this time of year by the crunch of leaves followed by silence. That's when they jump from tree to ground to tree. It can sure sound like a man's gait if you're not paying attention.
	Last, but not least, is Woody--a downy woodpecker. He flew up to the tree at the foot of the hammock and began his "rat tat tat" looking for insects under the bark. He was a tiny bird. He also moved incredibly fast. Of the ten (or so) pictures I took this is the only one that came out.

The only company I had all day was of the animal kind. Sometimes that's exactly what I need.

Thanks for reading,


B