Tufa Terrace Chipmunk In Tree

My beloved Rick had another emergency hospital visit. Thankfully it was resolved with medication and he is home safe and resting.  We did not get home until 1 am and as I am usually in bed between 10-11 pm, sleeping in was inevitable.  When I awoke the sky was dark and it was raining, waiting a few hours to hike seemed to be the best idea, I pulled the covers over my head.

When I enter the park the sky is dark and the wind is pushing the multiple layers of clouds, but the rain has abated.  I stop on the Tufa Terrace to remove my lens cap and a twig hits my shoulder, I look up to see not a Squirrel, but a lovely little Chipmunk.  Most of the Chipmunks in the park are ground dwellers so I am surprised to see this one perched above my head.  In it’s little hands is a nut, it’s morning feast.  I Love Nature!

Further along the Terrace a Squirrel stares at me as I move toward the Peak Trail.  It stands up and I feel blessed to be in it’s company. Lovely Daisies are blooming where the Tufa Terrace and Peak Trail cross over each other. Along the Carriage Road sweet yellow Wildflowers are battered though still standing after the last storm.

When I reach the  Short Cut Trail I notice the light has an unusual pink glow.  A late morning twilight fills the Forest and I reach the Mountain top feeling rejuvenated.  Light is a powerful force even when it is filtered by clouds and leaves.

I decide to take the Peak Trail down to the bottom of the Mountain, according to the trail markers this will be a shorter trip than expected.  If the NPS signs are to be believed from the Honeysuckle Trail to the Hot Springs Mountain Trail it is a shorter distance down than it is up the Trail.  Hiking up is .2 miles hiking down is only .1 mile, an anomaly not unlike a wormhole must be in play.  I only hope I don’t miss any of my favorite places along the trail. :o)

When I reach the bottom of the trail where it meets the promenade I enjoy watching a Male Cardinal stalking insects in the grass.  On the ground they always remind me of colorful Velociraptors moving through a prehistoric landscape.  I continue to the park entrance, look up at newly blossomed Magnolia and inhale the beautiful fragrance before heading home to my beloved Rick.

Thank You for coming along with me, Nature is always waiting to show us a new path!
Love to You ALL!
Lee