Connecting with Nature

It was just too nice weatherwise to stay here at the house so we drove up to another area where the hubby hunts in winter (thank goodness he hunts and knows these places for walking!).   We followed some old roadbeds that went in the woods and ended up at Lake Monticello which is a manmade lake close to his actual hunt camp.   

As we walked in the woods, I found a feather that I believe might be an owl feather.   Happy to see that and it did come home with me!    As we approached the lake, the dragonflies were flitting all around and one landed on my arm!!  Had the camera hanging from my neck, the phone in my back pocket but there was no way I was moving!  Jerry took a photo with his phone.   He is so slow!   He only got one photo before it flew off!!  Bless his heart!     At the lake edge, some hunters at left their folded up chairs and we were going to sit down for a while but WHAT!  A bird nest in the chair!!  WITH EGGS!!   We set it back against the tree exactly where it was.  Hope the Momma Bird come back!!

After the walk we went back to the hunt camp to eat some lunch and try to catch a few fish from the pond.   Jerry caught  two, I caught two limbs and broke my line getting it snagged on a tree.   The crawfish was under the little rowboat the Jerry uses on the pond.   We let it go after the photo.    

Now the little salamander/skink/lizard thing was the cause of a tiny heart stopping moment for me.    After I decided that I was done with fishing, I walked over to the place that was in the shade to sit on the ground.  I looked everywhere for ants, bugs and other critters before I sat down.  Then I sat about two minutes looking at the photos I had taken on the phone when I felt something squirming under my shorts on my right leg!      Let me tell you how fast this girl moved!    I rocketed up off the ground!   When I saw the thing I thought it was a baby snake! Hands shaking heart racing!!     But being the photographer I am,  I had to get closer to take a photo so I realized that it was some kind of creature with little front legs.  So maybe a salamander.    I can tell you my hands were still shaking when I was trying to take a photo!!     Needless to say, I told Jerry it was time to go home!!   

A really beautiful Spring day  and it was wonderful to get out in the wild!   Even with a salamander trying to crawl under me to get out of the sun!!