I will share with y'all a bit of an email that I sent to a friend of mine to let you in on my weekend escapade.
I went out to the Beverly swamp at 9 AM Saturday morning, and no one showed up, so I went for a walk by myself. I saw a tree swallow land on the road beside me; a Yellow Warbler fighting with a Common Yellowthroat; a pair of Red-bellied Woodpeckers; and a Veery. Oh, and I found a spot where someone had a marijuana crop last year. They had an area about 20 yards round clear cut, and all their empty pots and fertilizer jugs were still there - but no plants.
When I got home, I checked the HNC website, and the date of the walk had been changed to Sunday June 7.
Sunday didn't work out as good for me as Saturday. You see, there was a family picnic planned for my inlaws, and my wife had volunteered to convene it this year - that meant that I would have to be there for 10 AM to help set up tables.
That would have made for a short walk in the swamp. Luckily I only live 10 minutes away from the swamp, so I decided to go out early and get another walk in
by myself. So I got there about 7:30 AM. (Here is some good advice - if you ever go into that swamp, take a compass!). Not many people go into that swamp, so
the trails aren't all that well packed in places. Well the trail turned into no more than a deer path through black mud with ferns knee high on both sides
of the trail, and it ended at an inpassable stream. I happened to notice a beaver lodge down stream a bit, so I went over to investigate. Then I couldn't
find the trail. I circellced around for 10 minutes, and found myself back at the beaver lodge again. Again I started looking around for the trail, but
couldn't find it. This time I walked for about 45 minutes, through some wet loam, with ferns up to my knees, and mosquitoes veiling me - and once again I
found myself at the same beaver lodge where I began. The first thing I done was stood on top of the lodge to get a better look around - and I broke threw the
lodge. I was waist deep in the sticks and my one foot got soaked - luckily I didn't break a leg, or even get cut. Then I sat down, wiped the sweat off my
brow, took my sweater off and tied it around my waist, realized that my bug dope was in my truck, and I hadn't sprayed my arms because I was wearing a
sweater.
I was seriously fighting off the urge to panic, as I had been surpresing it for the last half hour or so. I knew that panicing would do me no good. So I
sat on the beaver lodge for 10 minutes, and watched a Red-bellied Woodpecker through my binoculars. Once I began to cool off and calm down I resumed my search
for the trail. I don't think that I walked any more than 30 yards, and I found the trail. If ever I felt the need to kiss the ground.....
It didn't take me long to get out of there, and back to my truck at about 9:10 AM. The HNC was meeting about 1 km down the road at Westover Rd. (I was at their second stop). I got there about quarter after nine, and they had already started, but I could see them, and I did catch up with them after a three minute jog. It would have been a pleasure to spend the day with them, but alas I had to cut it short at the end of the first walk at 10 AM. I got home just in time - as my wife was about ready to leave without me.
At the picnic, I asked my father in-law if he had ever been lost in the bush. (He is a retired trapper from moose and black bear country in northern Ontario). He told me straight-up, "No." However, he said, "I was once turned around for a few days!"
I hope you enjoyed my little story. I have been working at typing this a little bit every morning this week before work.
Today I plan on leaving early so I can do a little fishing for brown trout in a stream that runs through the property that I work at.
Tight lines
Shrapnel
