the Way of the Turtle

3.9 Mile Walk at Five Rivers EEC
Saturday, April 23, 2011

Rained pretty steadily until well after lunch so I decided to postpone my long run until tomorrow... trudging up and down the southern Taconics in the rain just didn't have any appeal. But getting outside once the rain stopped certainly did. I considered going for a short run, but my guts were grumbling a bit so I ended up heading over to Five Rivers for a walk instead.

More signs of spring today... leaf buds popping out all over the place. I have to admit it will be nice when all the brown and grey is replaced by greenery, even if it will be much harder to see through the foliage once that happens.

Birds everywhere, especially very cranky geese. Didn't get chased by any (actually, the one spot with signs up warning about an aggressive gander seemed to be goose-free - and I found eggshells nearby, so I wonder if something managed to raid the nest and that pair left?) Lots of honking and goose-fighting down on the Beaver Pond, where I counted at least three nesting (and a fourth across the road on the Heron Pond.)

All the activity seemed be taking its toll... toward the end of the walk I came across a pair of geese at the edge of one of the ponds, and after acting a bit wary of me they proceeded to settle in and go to sleep, with me standing just a few feet away taking pictures. Guess that beats being chased like last weekend!

JMH