Return Our Greeting Odd

I usually miss him.  I only ever usually see the aftermath of his run down over the yard, where I lay out seed.  Today, I caught sight of the barred owl swooping below my window in tandem with rapid evacuation of everyone else who’d been enjoying a meal; mourning doves, squirrels, blue jays.  From what I could tell, the owl left hungry.  Later out on the porch I marveled how abruptly he either turned or landed, coming in at that speed, to have avoided smacking into the house. 

 

I’ve been heading up to the Trapps most Fridays with my dad for the last few months.  We had a lovely walk along Peter’s Kill the day before last and marveled at how the rushing stream had cut through eons of stone.  The snow still thick up in the hills and we didn’t get far but it was uninhabited and pristine and that was all that really mattered.  Descending from the hills I generally go on and on about how lovely it all is up there with the rest of the family. 

Today, the Mrs. suggested that we head out for a walk somewhere.  She’d suggested the Mills Estate over in Hyde Park, which she’d been reading about, but I reminded her that places like that were unlikely to be welcoming any guests during the pandemic.  I suggested we head up to the Gunks and she liked the idea and our younger one sullenly agreed. 

We’d need something modest.  Something without many people.  Something not too far away.  And I pitched her on a cool walk that was only a few hundred yards after which there would be a great view.  We made our way up over Mohonk and down towards Clove Chapel where I’d been before and after some creative parking we were out amidst the hemlocks.  A family coming our way wouldn’t return our greeting.  Odd.  One hundred yards further along we came upon a solitary young fellow around eight years old.  He was able to answer our “hello” and I suspected he was pouting or at least distancing himself from the grumpy family we’d just passed.  My little one was not interested in taking one step further beyond the view I’d promised on the trail and soon we were back in the car, heading home. 

 

 

 

Sunday 01/10/11