Trompin' through the woods

Yesterday was just above freezing here and the wind had died down to where being outside was bearable. I decided top stop at the nature preserve on my way home and see what kind of deer traffic was present. Snow tracking is very easy and makes determining how long ago a deer passed quite simple. I have to admit it has been awhile since i ran the deer trails and found my lungs were pretty out of shape! I found what I call deer Highways and then some smaller runs that led me through some marsh and out to the rivers edge. I am pretty sure the deer actually bed down on an island that is just a swim away because for all my wandering i only found one recent bed and have seen a pretty big group of them coming out of the marsh from that direction. I think i will take my boat soon and check out the island.
One of the best things about my TROMP was that at one point I was able to simply stop and listen for a bit. The quiet and peace that is out there is something I have missed. Especially when it snows the sounds are absorbed by the new white insulation and it seems that sometimes the only sound you can hear is your own heartbeat and the noise that is commonplace in your mind. I miss spending sufficient amounts of time to allow for even those noises to disappear into the surroundings.