A question we ask 365 days a year, sometimes twice a day. Pumpy pricks up her ears and listens intently, eyes widening, tail wagging. We have been walking in Taylor Valley State Forest for nearly a year. Here, Pumpy has chased deer, discovered two porcupines, rolled in dead, smelly things, and found multiple deer carcasses to gnaw on. Here, we have waited for hours in the dead of winter, calling her name as night fell swiftly, hoping that she would return. She always does. Here, we have heard the drummings of a Hairy Woodpecker, the ethereal musings of a Hermit Thrush, the raucous croaks of Ravens which make even Pumpy stop and cock her head. Here, we have watched Dark-eyed Juncos foraging for berries along the roadside and met Turkey Vultures congregating around a deer carcass every day until it was picked clean. Here, we have seen a fox cross the road like a shadow. Here, we have run into the woods when a belching log truck starts lumbering up the hill, and watched, hidden behind trees, as it rumbles past. The instinct to hide from such a disruptive interloper is a strong one.
We love the quiet woods, in summer and winter alike.
Today I enjoyed the lovely wildflowers that are blooming along the roadside.
Pumpy loves walking here, and so do we.
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