Tranquil Early Morning Hike - Mountain Creek

Hike: Mountain Creek (Confederate Memorial Park) AL, Sat., 6/11/2011, 06:45-10:15

Distance: Approximately 7 miles  Rating: 5/5

Difficulty: Easy  Conditions: Trails and flora wet from last evening thundershower and heavy morning dew.  Creek low (typical for summer season) but old cistern is at normal level.  Some large fish swimming in the cistern today.  Hiking in the early morning (park opens up at 6am) makes a lot of sense this time of year.  Temperature was about 77 DegF at beginning of hike.

Thoughts/Observations:

Great hike!  Mountain Creek must have gotten a thundershower yesterday evening.  Ground was still wet though not muddy.  Creek still low (typical for this time of year).  Early morning hike is just right during the summer.

Observed many forest dwellers busy about their morning chores:  squirrels, cottontail, numerous passerines, crows, damsel flies (one particularly vivid blue one), dragon flies, and too many deer flies.  The heavy morning dew resembled diamond dust on the broad leaf vines and trees.  The small "Black-eyed Susan" type flowers were the main flowering attraction today.  Blackberries were in abundance (though most were still red).  I'm certain the opossums, coons, foxes, and birds will soon be feasting on berries!  

Enjoyed the tranquility.  Was refreshing to my spirit, mind, and body.  Thought about "Highways in the wilderness & rivers in the desert" -- such is our GOD!

I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
Isaiah 43:19 (NKJV)

Sunday Afternoon Hike - Mountain Creek

Hike: Mountain Creek, Sun., 1/30/2011 15:30-17:00
Distance: 3.0 miles  Rating: 5/5
Difficulty: Easy
Conditions: Cloudy.  Very mild.  Temps upper 60's to low 70's.  Wind-Calm.  Trails in excellent shape.  An sporadic drop of rain served as a reminder that rain was coming.
Thoughts/Observations:

Hiked without my digital camera or backpack.  Had just an hour and a half before darkness but was so glad I took advantage of the available time.  Observed many passarines (as usual), the occasional woodpecker, gray squirrel, and chipmunk, quite a few crows and one hawk.  The forest was a still and mostly quiet place this afternoon.  There was a different feel, a very good feeling, in the forest today.  Maybe it was the clarity and peace.  Perhaps it was the promise of rain.  It was most likely all of that and so much more!  It felt so good to be hiking in YOUR Creation, LORD.  Thank YOU for YOUR love and care, YOUR very presence in my life.  
 

Beautiful Day - Short Hike Mountain Creek

Hike: Mountain Creek, Fri., 01/15/2010, 10:00-12:00
Distance: 4 miles Rating: 5/5
Difficulty: Easy
Conditions: Bright blue sky; no wind. Temps high 40's to high 50's.
Thoughts/Observations:
Beautiful day. Mild temps. Quite enjoyable hike. One vocal hawk, many cardinals, thrashes, and other passerines. Two small woodpeckers "arguing" in the hardwood fringe area. Tulip tree seeds rotating down to earth, searching for good soil. "Take me away, to a secret place ... hiding place" - "Pocketful of Sunshine" was playing on radio on my way to hike. Dawned on me that this is what I am looking to GOD for, to take me from the kingdom of the world and deliver me into the Kingdom of HIS SON.

New Year's Hike - Mountain Creek

Hike: Mountain Creek, Fri. 1/1/2010, 10:15-12:20
Distance: 4.0 miles Rating: 5/5
Difficulty: Easy
Conditions: Blustery. Very cool. Wind pushing through the tree tops at times a continuous roar. Mostly cloudy to mostly sunny by end of hike.
Thoughts/Observations:
Thank YOU, LORD, for this joy-filled hike. Was not in to the hike more than 5 minutes when I was treated to the most beautiful pair of blue, brown, and gray birds. They displayed their colors from all directions as they watched me and ate dogwood berries. Also observed small green sparrow-sized bird near pine upland fence-line. Black & white stripes on back. Serenaded by bird-song and wind music! Wonderful way to start a new decade! Was a very peaceful and refreshing hike.

New binocular harness worked great! Makes the heavier Simmons binoculars easy to carry and readily accessible. Did not take the camera today - had to leave battery charging. In a way that probably contributed to my enjoyment of the hike - I was just "soaking it all up myself".

(Note: The blue birds were Eastern Bluebirds, just appeared larger and more vivid than I'm used to seeing!)