Rouviere Media

Just like the bunny that precedes this entry, we came upon this deer as we were on the return leg of the trail. The deer was near the edge of the trail eating grass when we came along. I was ready with my camera and the right lens. The deer had to make a decision: risk crossing the slippery nature trail or head back to the safety of the trees. In the end, the risk was too great so it was back to the trees.

Rabbits are a common sight along the Nature Trail. They come out of their hiding spots to munch on the abundant green grass that grows along the trail. When we come along, they freeze and wait as long as they can possibly stand it and then they run for their lives. This little rabbit took off in such a hurry and extended its hind legs further than I have ever seen before.

In addition to the animal life and activity that we witness on the trail, there is occasional signs of human activity as well. The Nature Trail makes a great backdrop for all kinds of chalk art that children do. There are figures and animals, hopscotch and like this one: line drawings.

During a recent storm a large tree along the creek broke off and filled the entire Nature Trail. Most trailers simply walked around the fallen tree, but one jogger decided to call out the local Boy Scout troop for a little impromptu service. They showed up with hand saws, old axes and lots of enthusiasm for tackling the felled giant. Fortunately for the scouts officials from the Town of Apex showed up with chainsaws to finish off the larger sections of the tree and the trail was again clear.

Trees are very useful. They provide beauty, protection and shade. They produce beautiful flowers and sometimes fruit. One thing they always take care of is to provide for the future. Somehow trees know that they will not last forever, so every year they produce hundreds or even thousands of future possibilities. Here is a close view of a Mimosa tree - the same one whose flower was featured earlier - and a clump of seed pods. When the time is right, this tidy weather-proof package, will drop to the ground and hopefully as seed or two will find cover and take root.

To be sure, this was a long shot. Cardinals are inherently skittish and keep their distance, but even so, this was quite a ways off and I had to crop tightly to get this picture, but in enlarging the image it was easy to see that this Cardinal was intently looking for something - probably dinner - but it is fun to image that he has dropped a quarter or a contact lens or something of greater value.

There are probably a lot more turtles than we see along the nature trail. This young Eastern Box Turtle is about half grown. The is one species that can completely shut its plastron. This one was never afraid of us and just waited patiently until we went on.

As noted in an earlier posting, dragonflies are very hard to photograph. This one was another exception. This delicate-winged insect was not yet dead, but it wouldn’t be long after this photograph was taken. One of the healthiest things about a nature trail is that it keeps you in touch with the seasons and the cycles of life. There is tremendous beauty, even in death.

From what I understand the distinction between butterflies and moths can be very subtle. This one has beautiful markings and was doing what butterflies do but from what I can tell of the description here this appears to be a moth.

My grandmother died a little over a week ago at age 95. The life-cycle of many creatures is much shorter and as is often the case with both people and creatures those lives can be cut short. Here a beetle and a leaf share a quiet repose on the nature trail. Wind, a pedestrian or two, or more likely hungry creatures will soon wipe all trace of their existence from memory.