Drizzly Afternoon Encounters

On a blustery Saturday afternoon, when the sky is marbled with clouds and the little tree out front is bending in the wind, what better to do than head outside?

As the wind pushed back my advance and gusts covered the sound of whatever might be out and about, I saw a few daredevil birds tumbling in the sky, black specks hurtling across the sky with barely a flap. A light drizzle built into a light rain, lasting just long enough to uncomfortably moisten my clothes before receding.

I wondered at my judgment in venturing out on this restless fall day, carrying the threat of winter on rushing gusts. If nothing else, I thought, I could get some photos of the picturesque clouds looming over the wetlands. Any bird or insect would probably have better sense than me and keep hunkered down in the brush.

But it was apparently lovely weather for the herps! Almost immediately I came across a little snake sitting on the pavement at the edge of the trail. It played along with me while I took some pictures before winding off into the grass.

Then a bright green bullfrog in the middle of the trail, jewel eyes unfazed by my lens. One guy resisted my gentle urging to move off the trail to the safety of the grass, so I did not insist. Another snake. Another bullfrog. Many grasshoppers, live and dead, also littered the trail.

Not long after, high-stepping awkwardly along the edge of the trail like a miniature dinosaur, a tiny snapping turtle the size of a half-dollar. With a faintly irritated expression, it observed me as intently as I watched it. Its long, pointed tail–almost the length of its entire body–dragged behind the ridged back end of its shell. It carried a tiny, adorable hint of the crushing aggression that characterizes full-grown snappers; I backed off to let it go its way unhindered, watching it ponderously climb into the grass and head towards the wetlands.

There have been very few times I have regretted going for a walk in nature. Regardless of the weather or the season, there is always a chance to encounter friends and neighbors who enjoy what I might consider less than ideal conditions.

Originally published on Sycamore Greenway Friends.