Part 2 - A Rainy Day In Brasher State Forest

I'd taken the dogs (except PeeWee) to Brasher State Forest for a bit of rainy day hiking. We were on Deer Trail but kept straying from it in order to explore the forest:

Seamus was very well behaved. It was his running ahead on Coney Mountain and hurting himself which inspired my new rule that the dogs keep close to me at all times. Clover and Fergus are still having some trouble with that, but Seamus truly loves to walk close to me. And he's just the right height to pet as we walk along:

I found some pretty brown mushrooms, but no reds or purples:

We again left the trail and took off through the forest. Three of the dogs went running ahead and had to be called back. Luckily, they're very good about coming when called. I began to use my silent dog whistle instead of my voice. It kept the woods more peaceful:

Another brown mushroom, this one with some peachy overtones:

There were sections of hardwoods and sections of conifers. Both were mature enough to be almost free of undergrowth:

I had Daphne and Madeline sit for a photo - and also just to see them hold still, however momentarily:

The woods were lovely, dark and deep - and I had absolutely no promises to keep. So we just wandered and enjoyed our day:

Madeline looked so tiny beneath the trees as she chugged along with her head down:

By this time, the dogs were getting pretty darn good at staying close to me:

There were several of this unusual mushroom with its lemon and brown coloration and ragged edges:

Seamus found this vernal pool to be especially attractive. Even Clover, who usually wants to stay out of water, splashed joyously through it. But we weren't done with our hike yet. I'll post Part 3 tomorrow: