Remember this: When life has you down and it’s not hunting season there is no reason “not” to go into the woods.
I have been in a bad mood because my brother told me something that confirmed some situation that has been surrounding me. Up till now it was no more than a vague idea crossing my mind based on someone else's behavior. No one would say anything to me so I was left with the poison thorns put in my path and had to go it alone as well. It has bothered me because I am in a quandary on what to do about it. Now I know what flesh eating bacteria feels like except I don't think I'm going to lose a limb over this; at least I hope not.I moved my camera to an undisclosed location to see if I could catch anything. There was a debate that there might not be anything worth having in that lot of woods. I took my laptop to check it in the woods and put the memory card back in it. The only thing on it was my boobs. The pile was not disturbed even though I knew something was there. I am going to leave it for about three days. Hopefully the battery will not die. It’s on 90%. I dropped some more pears. The apples from the last timer were gone.
I don't know why but when I put that camera up I had gotten it into my head that I was going to come back, divert the grassy area by walking in the woods to see what was on the other side since the storm. I had my mind dead set on finding some turkey feathers. ESP? Deja Vu? Who the hell knows? I just wanted some turkey feathers. I followed the tree line of the woods which was outlined by a small ditch/fire break. Let me tell you it was a mess. I thought I would find some old turkey nest and there would be feathers. I had to use the machete to chop this tree out of the way. I am sure the neighbors were wondering what I was doing back there as the one man's Jack Russell would not shut it up.
I can only imagine if he had let that beast loose I would be back there chopping away while some crumb snatcher was gnawing my leg. Much like the annoying sounds of mosquito.
It was really humid and my clothes were wet with sweat. I should have built myself a fire and chanted. It was like a sweat lodge.
I was having all kinds of anxiety. I had a raging headache and felt a little out of sorts. After I got in there whacking away at my problem in my head I forgot about it and my maladies were gone. I wondered back to the end of the path. I found one turkey feather that was brown and white striped. It was around 14 inches. I stuck it in my ponytail sideways. I wondered some more. I found a smaller one that was iridescent. I jammed that one in there to. Beats carrying them. I stood for a moment in the area because there are a lot of dirt piles long covered with forest debris. You could see the trail marks where things had come and gone and worn them down. I didn't go deep in the area because I knew the wildlife would probably stay around the edge of the tree line. I guess that is why they tell you to measure the distance from the center of the field to the edge of the woods. Someone comes a shooting you only have so much time to make a run for it and for cover; duck and weave-duck and weave.
For 'dumb' animals that's pretty smart. I went in and out of the woods in this field's edge. I didn't see any tracks what so ever so nothing came across it since the wind and rain. The wildlife is probably feasting off those corn fields and people's personal gardens. My dad told me that they ate up all his broccoli, squash, beans, and whatever else they couldn't tote off. Probably thought it was an Outdoor Golden Corral? I was watching a show last night where moose will tear up a broccoli field. Can't say I blame them.
I stuck to the inner edge which was about 12-15 yards from the outside of the field. I found another feather at the usual spot I see them go in or come out of. It was the brown one I posted on my page. I measured it to be 14 1/4 inch long. There was a serious quill on it. I stuck that one in my hair to. I can only imagine if someone had come a rolling up on me back there holding a machete in my hand, turkey feathers 14 inches off my head, serious tan, and the crazy eye.
It did give me a sense of being mentally off the grid in a indigenous kind of way. Being a little wild heathen is not a bad thing every now and again. Add turkey feathers and you've got a walking crazy bomb. I just didn't feel choked down by situations or things that were mental prisons I had to worry over. Shit that brings you down is like being in prison. It’s God awful.
Anna Botsford Comstock had wrote about two occupations for Saturday afternoon or forenoon (I think anytime but she had a target audience), " Out in this , God's beautiful world, there is everything waiting to heal lacerated nerves, to strengthen tired muscles, to please and content the soul that is torn to shreds with duty and care."(Comstock 3)
I hear this strange clutch of noises that sounded like baby raptors. I went to investigate. I was almost right on top of them when I saw up in the tree top the parent bird. She was skipping a beat with her cries. The fledgling birds were making a racket to but they were moving around. I decided she / he must be teaching her babies to hunt or fend for themselves. There was a pissy squirrel raising hell down there to. That must have been what it was after. I watched her from where I was. The bird perched on a limb and you could see her cranking her neck as she was looking at me. I decided to move along but it followed me around the tree tops watching.
I sat down on this old fallen tree that was bark-less and turning green. I pondered my problems. I didn't know what to do. I felt like I had been here before but because of my state of mind a couple of years ago I was really in a bad place. I didn't want to do for anyone. My attitude was let everyone rot in Hell for their sins. I wasn't going to put my hand out to help one drowning soul. I did without a lot and I mean a lot. my mentality was rebellion or maybe it was right down nastiness.
I feel like there was something I missed, or someone I went by? Some situation I should have connected to but I wasn't exactly ready. I felt like Magua out for blood. Eat your enemy’s heart I thought. Put them under the knife if you will. It’s a mentality not an actual intent to do harm.
I then thought of going into this store the other day. I was in the book aisle. I randomly picked up a book and read just one page. One page mind you. That page said to me, it was one of those devotional type books, in summary:
“I have burdened you with many situations that were not all good. Even in your pain I removed you for a great while because I am clearing your mind. For you to do what I want you must have a clear mind and up till now you have been polluted by the world and people around you. You have cried many tears and cursed life for what it has done. All these things I have done to you to bring you to this place where the many blessings I have in store for you, will now be given. Even though there are many troubles and obstacles in your path ~do not given up~ for you will succeed in the things you are to do. Do not give up.”
I thought this was a rather odd and random thing for me to do. I shut the book and thought someone had just told me something I really needed to hear.
I guess that is another thing about the mystery of life: One needs to recognize the clue that is given and follow it through?
Most people think I am bat shit crazy anyway because they don't bother to get to know me. Just judge me from the fence. I say keep doing that one day you'll learn.
I walked along the field because I heard 'walking' behind me. I walked up on this black snake that was a yardstick in length with a lot of small bumps in its body. It was sunning itself beside a root that almost made me not see it. It looked like two chopsticks side by side. I crossed over in and out of a ditch them climbed up on a dirt hill to look around. I headed back to my truck parallel to the road access that was over grown with grasses.
I finally sweated myself back to my truck via the continual barks of the Jack Russell. I loaded up and pulled out. As I pulled out of the path and drove home I looked back out at the field I had been walking along the edges of. Out there were three turkeys. One had blown himself up. I started laughing. Those bastards had been hiding somewhere there the whole time. I turned around because I wanted to see the Ninjas for myself. There they were.
Gobble Gobble, in the field. I laughed all the way home.
Written by: W Harley Bloodworth
~Courtesy of the AOFH~
Literature Cited and Suggested Reading:
Comstock, Anna Botsford. Handbook of Nature Study. Ithaca, New York:Cornell University Press, (1939). pp. 3. Print
Link to order:
http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/?GCOI=80140100925610
