There is something to be said about Autumn in NY.
The weather, perfect! Sunny, breezy, warm but not humid and
for weeks-length rain seems to have lost its candor.
Westchester lights up with an explosion of foliage colors..
yellows, oranges, reds and greens. Simply put, It's BREATHTAKING!
For one short season, I can walk the woods, jog the trails
or just breath in the beautiful hues without sneezing it all back in a spatter
of allergies.
It’s the Indian summer. It’s my Indian summer. And it never
ever gets old!
Outside my window, my trees are beginning to show some
yellow. Squirrels have gone crazy
collecting their winter stock of nuts. Looks like it’s gonna be a long harsh
winter if their hyper panic mode is any indication.
But for now, I have decided to take this Fall, probably my
last, by storm.. Canoeing in the Hudson, Hiking the trails of Greenburg, Nordic
Walking the Woods, and just giving my summer tan a boost at Rye Beach..
Fall encounters
Last Fall, Tamara and I had a long encounter with a family
of deer. The male politely tried to shoo
us away. It moved its head in a rhythmic movement. It was
fascinating to watch! Obviously the angry animal didn’t think we were that
interesting in return. We were upsetting their grazing routine.
The deer kept
repeating his head movement in hope that we might catch his jest and walk away.
But we slowly moved closer, mesmerized. The movements became frantic, its head
almost touching the ground every time it bowed.
Then came the warning hums. Then the hooves thumping dust all around.
At
that point, I stopped and just stared. Following my cue, Tamara trustingly just
waited, totally taken by the baby deer standing behind its dad. The little one,
just like mine, was closely gaging her parent’s every move, ready to run at the
first signal, fully assured that we, grown-ups totally knew what we were
doing! Poor kids!!!!! Both animal and
human.
The deer and I seemed to connect at some deeper level,
because we both turned our heels and decided to run for shelter at exactly the
same time J
This
game was not fun anymore. The animal clearly took me for an idiot for not
picking all these hints, and I felt like I have trespassed enough and it was
time to go back to our human existence. But for that one moment, I wondered…
why is it that a chance encounter with a wild deer in the woods next door would
be so revealing? Why did I understand what that animal wanted to communicate so
much better than I understand most humans when they talk to me… hmmmmm.. More encounters to come!
