Wintry Return To The Amish Forest - Part 2

The dogs and I were walking in what I have been calling the Amish Forest (see also Part 1, posted yesterday):

Though it had been logged just this past summer, the crew had been selective, choosing only tall and straight pines for telephone poles. That left lots of unspoiled, natural beauty for us to enjoy:

Besides the pines, the only leaves to be seen were the golden brown beech leaves, which often hang on all winter long:

But it was cold and there was ice beneath a thin layer of snow, making walking treacherous. So we turned back toward the gravel road:

I could see our car up ahead but luckily, the dogs didn't notice it. They often run to it when they see it:

Besides, they had interesting smells to sniff and bushes to pee on:

Seamus, still looking svelte and trim, cut a smart figure as he pranced. It wasn't long ago that he was obese and having trouble walking. His diet has added years to his life and put a spring in his step:

Fergus walked into the forest and then returned, perhaps wondering why I hadn't followed:

All the dogs stopped frequently to read "the newspaper," scents which only their noses can detect:

And it was all a great adventure and lots of fun:

When Jack spied the car ahead, I knew he would bolt so I put him on a leash. The other dogs were told to heel, and they did so beautifully. Our short, wintry walk was over, a quick excursion on a cold, sunny day:

Wintry Return To The Amish Forest - Part 1

It was a cold but sunny and windless day, so I decided to take the dogs back to what I called the Amish Forest (because the access road is across the road from an Amish farm). I could find no place to park along the gravel road but discovered that I could park in the lane through the woods. I let the dogs out and they exploded with joy:

I received permission to use this land but was asked not to use it during big game season. Figuring that was over now, it seemed like a good day for a walk with the pooches:

And they sure were happy:

There were lots of interesting smells along the way:

The beeches were the only deciduous trees which still held their leaves:

Mostly, this was a pine forest. A hundred years ago, this land grew potatoes. When the land was depleted, the owner planted pines:

And now it's lovely land for walking with the dogs, for hunting and for its owner's cabin:

The dogs were pretty good about not running too far ahead. Maybe they could sense that I was cold and potentially crabby:

It was a pleasant but short walk:


The owner sold much of the pine timber for use as telephone poles and it was cut this past summer. That left skid roads for us to explore along the way:

The logging also opened up the view a bit, exposing spectacular beauty. But we weren't done yet, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow:

The Amish Forest - Part 2

The dogs and I were hiking a nearby forest which I started calling the Amish Forest because the property is directly across the road from an Amish family's farm:

We'd met the owner and explored a side trail already (see Part 1, posted yesterday), and now were headed back toward the gravel road where we'd begun. At least I'd been told that's where this lane would take us:

And it was all exquisite:

The dogs were happy and so was I:

We came to a deer stand in the woods and the dogs ran over to see it:

The wild blackberries bloomed along the lane wherever enough sunlight came through the tree canopy:

Fergus and Seamus gave me their biggest smiles:

And then I saw a couple of Pink Ladyslippers. I'd thought it was too late for them, but deep in this forest, I suppose things bloom later than other places:

It was clear to me that no one uses this lane for vehicles anymore. I could tell by the fallen trees across it:

Soon I could see the Amish farm fields through the trees and knew we were close to the road. There isn't much traffic on the gravel road, but I called the dogs to me and told them to heel, just to be safe:

We emerged from the woods at the Amish family's chicken coop and free range chickens. I don't know how he keeps them safe from predators:

And our car was just up the road a bit, across from the Amish farm. It had been a short, but pleasant walk and so very close to home that I'm sure I'll be back again soon:

The Amish Forest - Part 1

There is an Amish family just down the gravel road from me. They have carved their farm out of the forest and built all the buildings. The husband trims my horses' hooves and one day I asked him if he owned the forest across the road from his house because there was an attractive dirt lane going into it which I'd like to walk with the dogs. He said he did not, but gave me the phone number of the man who did. I called and got permission to walk the lane, and one morning I did so. I parked my car across from the Amish farm:

And entered the forest with my very excited dogs:

All along the edge of the lane were blackberries in full bloom. There will be some good eating this summer by the looks of things:

And underfoot were hundreds of wild strawberries, fully ripe:

Ovenbirds, Chickadees and Wood Thrushes filled the air with their songs, and Ravens croaked warnings as they flew overhead to check out the intruder:

Most of the forest at that point was pine, and some of the trees were numbered. I later learned that the numbered trees would soon be cut for telephone poles:

 I learned from another neighbor that these pines had been planted many decades ago on land that had been depleted by too many years of potato farming:

I heard and saw the owner up ahead as we approached, so I put the dogs on leashes. I got to meet the man, who was mowing his lawn when we arrived. His cottage in the forest has no electricity and was built on an old foundation, probably the home site of the former potato farmers' house:

We talked for a while and the dogs ran and played. He told me what to expect from the dirt lane as I continued, so I soon went on my way. Out behind his cottage he'd planted several fruit trees, with protection against marauding deer:

We continued on the dirt lane, but it was seldom traveled beyond the house, so was less obvious. The owner had said that there were lots of coyotes, enough so that they followed hunters out of the woods with their deer carcasses. He also said there had been quite a number of black bears, though they had not caused any trouble:

All in all, it was a pleasant walk in a beautiful forest:

And the dogs were happy, having lots of fun. We took a side trail for a short distance, but soon turned back toward our original dirt lane, which the owner had said would take us back to the gravel road. Our walk was not over yet, and I'll post Part 2 tomorrow: