I have to tell you a little more about the hike we took last night. It has been a couple of weeks since me and Angie have been able to play in the woods we had to get out. I love hiking at night but worry about doing it alone and I can never find anyone willing to go with me. Except miss Adventure Angie (maybe we should add fearless to her title) she was all for a night hike.
I had a meeting that I could not get out of till 7:30 so we met at the hardtimes trailhead at 8:00 it was already dark, I hate how early it is getting dark but today is the last day of summer. We walked mostly on old logging roads nothing too technical just fun. We laughed, we sang and we danced, twirling under the light of the moon, all through the woods. As we walked we noticed the silhouette forms of the trees, we marveled at the way the shadows of the trees danced all around us with the slightest breeze. In awe as a owl pierces the night sky in search for supper.
We walked till we came across a grove of pine trees that lined both sides of the road, it reminded me of a large catholic cathedral with a soft pine needle floor lining the aisle, and that made walking very soft and quite. It here we set up a speaker and started our dance (we always dance, on the top of mountains, in front of waterfalls or when it starts raining a celebration!)
That is when we first heard them, at first I thought they were coyotes on the mountains. Angie starts making coyote calls howling at the moon, laughing we finish our dance. And then we start to head back we noticed these howls sound like they were getting closer and sounded more like dogs. Every few minutes they would start barking and we would walk a little faster they are getting closer the more we walk the closer they get, then they stop. A little tension is building in the air now as we make our way around the next bend. All of the sudden we see a dozen flickering blue and green lights small but much larger and much brighter than firefly’s. They are coming right toward us! It was like a scene out of a sci-fi movie as these robotic creatures fanned out and surrounded us we got close together ready to fight for our lives!
It was not till they were very close could we make out they were hunting dogs with flashing collars. One finally barked not a viscous bark more of a young playful bark They did not bother us just sniffed us and headed on up the trail!
At the next road crossing we came across their owners two very nice kids from Canton out Coon hunting we talked with them a bit and then headed on back, taking the long way around lake Powhatan pausing only to honor and love the way the moon and Mars were dancing with the clouds in a perfect late summer night sky and a mirrored reflection on the lake finished the scene. A few more twirls and a laugh or two and we are back at our cars never a dull moment when Adventure Angie and I get together. And a new appreciation for night hikes if anyone ever wants to go, let me know. We will hit the woods! Something else I would like to try, I remember seeing where this photographer would go to waterfalls at night and paint them with a flash light he had some very cool images.
We circled lake lure the whole lake and end up at a biker tiki bar swimming pool.
