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Sunday, April 20, 2008

God's country.

Aspen trees tower above me as I move quietly among them, ahead a cow elk chews on the early spring buds of the smaller trees. Several other elk are scattered throughout the aspen grove feeding on the new growth. Overhead a red tail screams on the wind , an eerie call against the silence of the late afternoon forest. In the distance I can hear wild turkeys calling to one another , the gobbles of the toms is a new sound to this high land. Several years ago the Wyoming game and fish reintroduced the Merriam turkeys, through proper game management they are now thriving . I have been walking through the woods for four hours and have seen a whole variety of animals, from the majestic grizzly bear feeding on the new grasses on a high slope to the tiny weasel who looked over a log at me with his small black eyes and then disappeared. Trout scurry into deeper pools at my approach along the small stream. Birds of all shapes and sizes call from the forest and from the blue sky overhead. Dozens of tree species grow here and innumerable plants cover the forest floor. In the mud along the creek bed I see the tracks of deer , elk , and black bear. A trail about two inches wide is beaten into the ground by the feet of a busy field mouse coming and going from it’s burrow. The wing feather of a great horned owl lays among the forest floor debris, slowly moving back and forth with the evening breeze. The natural world seems intact as I move silently among the bones of downed trees. I offer up a prayer of thanks as I walk along for all that lays before me and am glad for the chance to live in such a spiritual place. A place of wonder, where beauty and majesty lay around every corner. Where the wanderers soul can be truly free of all the goings on of the modern world. And the drum of life still beats with the sounds of all things natural . I am humbled , sometimes to tears , by all I see and feel in these wild places, and am forever thankful for these rocky mountains I call home. A place truly worthy of the name GOD’S COUNTRY.. Hawk a/ho

3 comments:

Stacey Olson said...

What A fantastic description of the beautiful place we call home! Great job Hawk!I love you~ Otter

Anonymous said...

the untamed woods surely are gods country. places where only a few experienced woodsmen and woman, such as your wife, will go. places that deserve respect. places aside from cities.

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Hawk: That is one great post. I really enjoyed the way your words flowed through the woods taking us along.
I enjoyed a little walk in the woods yesterday but and saw a couple of chickadees, and great nature and a lot of garbage. People can be so ignorant when in such beauty.