A Day in the Woods

Laura and I spent the day in the woods reading, sketching, and generally enjoying the nature surrounding us. We found a spot to set up in a slight breeze that kept the mosquitoes at bay with enough sunlight to enjoy the 60° temperatures.

I brought a red space blanket to keep us off the damp ground and we had plenty of room to spread out a few snacks and our books and other gear.

Laura took the time to measure and compare some of the leaves on the ground around us with her edible plants guide. With a little help she determined that we were sitting directly under a black cherry tree. Too bad the fruit seemed to be long gone as it would have been a fantastic reward for a job well done.

She then read from her book and I read from mine (pictured above) for 20 minutes (maybe more) while we listened to the sounds around us. Acorns and small branches fell from overhead and, at one point, directly into Laura's snack box depositing a few ants for extra protein. (She was not as amused as I was though.)

Just a few yards deeper into the woods the breeze disappeared and the mosquitoes came out in force. We found a standing body of water (we do back up to a wetland) and the closer we got to the edge of the water the thicker the mosquitoes became. Laura finally had it with the little pests and headed back to the blanket for safety. I just had to snap a picture of the reflection in the water while I was there.

We continued to wander for a while after that but it was the reading and relaxing we came in for and that was what we returned to as soon as we finished the wander. I finished the Muir passage I started earlier (I'll discuss it a bit later this week) and Laura finished her chapter and we started to pack up so we could get back to the house and cleaned up for dinner.

All in all that was a fantastic day. I got to spend time with Laura, we did it in the woods, and we didn't get interrupted while we were out. I couldn't have asked for more.

Thanks for reading,


B