Ottertail Country

Ottertail Country
Ottertail South

October 31, 2008

I went hunting, and it was O.K......

.


I've put in a few photos of the Ottertail Lodge as we enter the deer hunting season. Last year I first went bow hunting on October 28th (season opens about 2 weeks into September), as I was busy finishing garage items and getting ready for winter. This year I first went on October 28th, three days ago. I hope this isn't a permanent pattern....




The stove is set, I swept the floor and put away all the junk I stored in the middle of the floor for the last 8 months.... But I digress.

I went out to the Hemlock tree on Tuesday afternoon. It felt good to climb up that tree and settle into the tree seat that I have spent so many hours in over the last dozen years. The sun was shining, the leaves are all down and smelling like autumn in the forest. I heard the familiar cheep(how do you describe that sound?) of a nuthatch, and watched it hop headfirst down a nearby white ash tree. It and it's mate flitted about for quite a while, testing a kernel of corn once in a while.



Here is that wonderful bull skull that Liz and Dennis provided for the lodge. I call it the "biggest spiker you'll ever see". But I digress....

Also active around my Hemlock were three gray squirrels. They are very busy right now collecting as many acorns as possible. There are 4 or 5 big oaks within 30 yards of my hemlock tree, and right now they are the only deciduous trees with leaves. They are dead leaves, brown and crunchy and they make the nicest rustling in the faint breeze that still comes and goes in the early evening. The squirrels are non stop, making sounds in the litter on the ground... not unlike a deer walking through the leaves. Except when a deer does approach, the sound in unmistakable. I saw an 8 pointer, maybe 12-13" inside spread. I watched him for quite a while, content in knowing that this was not the night. Later I saw a spike horn buck, he actually bedded down under my hemlock!! As darkness gathered, I dropped a glove that landed a few feet from the deer and he bolted and disappeared into the brush. I climbed out......



The walk back to the Ottertail was like any number of other similar trips, but each time is also a new experience. Tonight the leaves in the low lying places were frozen into a crisp layer on the ground, all attached by that little layer of ice forming in the rapidly cooling evening. The quite little crunchings from those leaves are the only sounds. The trees were rapidly loosing any contrast in their appearance, and by the time I reached the Sugar Woods near Horse tree, the big maples were no more than black skeletons showing themselves against the dying light in the West. I often just stop and stand staring at the ever changing sky, trying to embed the images and colors in my brain. By the time I break out into the field, I am completely in silhouette land. The gap in the trees that shows the western sky is ruddy orange at the sky line, gradually fading to yellow, pale blue and finally to dark blue. It's the time when only a few stars are showing, the brightest ones out there, and tonight the fingernail moon was just above the horizon in the layer of yellowish sky. Soon I'm passing through the 15" tall white pines in the field, now nothing more than solemn, fuzzy sentries guarding the gateway to the Ottertail. A few more steps and the warm lights in the lodge can be seen in the gaps in the trees, and soon I'm getting out of my hunting clothes in the cold night air under the lean-to roof on the shed. By the time I get stripped down to long johns and tee shirt, I'm starting to shiver.... a quick walk to the house and warmth, and the evening is now another Ottertail memory.



I really like this one. I hope to be in that situation someday about 20 years from now, gradually working on getting some firewood, taking a break and admiring the tree.....

I gotta go, Carlo


.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds great... and I'll be the one bringing you your coffee, so we can sit and chat and 'have a cup' while taking that break to admire your work. Sounds mighty inviting to me. Looking forward to it.
ps

Anonymous said...

I guess I forgot to mention, that we'll have plenty of coffee to go around for anyone that would like to visit us.... anytime...
ps

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear you have been able to get outside and enjoy this beautiful fall weather! And may have to take you up on that coffee/hot chocolate offer!

Kristi

Anonymous said...

I loved all your pictures. That one of the fellow sitting admiring his work reminds me of how Herb's father, Emil, used to sit leaning against the old maple tree that you just took down. He would sit on the north side of it gazing to the north and probably reminicing about the old days. Thanks for all the pictures.

Lucy

yram said...

Wow...really nice post. I was sorta glad you dropped the glove and let the deer lope off.
I wonder how Emil sat on the north side of the tree? musta been not such a hillock on the north side in those days.
The woods is so great this time of year and you are so lucky to have a little piece all your own! send pics from the tree.
love to all, M