The tree lines have become a collision of bright colors as their mighty boughs of shade turn yellow, gold and red. The air has shifted from a still dry heat to a soft, bath water warm breeze, coupled with the sound of crisp, rustling leafs. 
Warm sun shines through the canopy of foliage, as an eagle soars overhead, searching for fresh quarry. The rhythmic “thump thump thump” from a distant grouse pounds through the clinking of dried leafs dangling from trees. A flock of turkey crest the majestic oak ridge, foraging for tasty morsels on the ground. Squirrels chase back and forth, defining their turf, then stretch out across the tree boughs, basking in the golden sun. The heartiest of remaining insects buzz about the drying wild flowers and weeds. Small furry critters scurry up and down heavily worn animal trails through the brush.
Nature’s celebration.
The sun drenched sky begins to pale into pink and orange shades of nightfall earlier and earlier. A group of Blue Jays flutter to a clearing on the ground, hoping to discover a last meal of the day. Met with an anxious chipmunk, they team up to scavenge for a moment before disappearing into the brush. The mad dash for dinner before dark creates a countdown–the woods come alive with wildlife running, clawing, and cawing to find that last bit of nourishment in the moments before days end. A deafening silence unfolds across the landscape, sporadically broken by the cry of a blackbird, or squawk of a squirrel. Suddenly the quiet is disrupted by the chatter of the woods and fields calling out “time to sleep!” A final scurrying across the forests leaf-blanket is heard as the last squeaks of ‘goodnight’ subside.
Thankful for this day.
The black velvet, star filled sky spreads a twinkling magic across all creatures, big and small. Some are tucked away into tree boughs, hollow logs, cracks, and crevasses of safe keeping for the night. Others, like the skunk, porcupine and raccoon, are just waking up and rustling across the ground in search of breakfast. The night is protected by an amplified stillness. Bats and flying squirrels flit about through the trees, barely visible in the dark sky. Slow, deliberate steps snap a branch or two on the shadowy ground. Off in the distance, a lonely howl, joined by a chorus of followers, cuts into the stillness of dark like a knife. All is quiet, yet a presence is felt in the night air. Predators and prey.
The night hunt is on.
The pitch black air is heavy with condensation. Dead silence resonates through the trees. Not a sound or movement to be had. Thin sheets of darkness slowly peel away, shedding micro degrees of light to the forest floor, creating ominous imaginary images in the fallen trees. A startled doe scrambles to remain unseen, cracking branches like an alarm. Nearby shadowy stumps become clearly not her as the forest slowly becomes less dark. She stops and sounds off a loud blow through the trees in her defense, followed by more cracking branches and her pounding hooves on the soft dirt ground.
Too late, you are busted.
A chain reaction ripples through the woods, as squirrels begin to chirp, mice and chipmunks bound across the ground stirring the leaf blanket searching for a tasty acorn breakfast. 
Birds flit from tree to tree, peeping and quenching their thirst on dew covered leafs. The night creatures lumber down the forest trails, back to their dens. The first crack of blazing, brilliant light rips across the horizon in a thin line. With each degree of increased light, so do the sounds of the forest increase. The bold cry from one black bird, initiates a choir of calls from all feathered beings, eager for the rising sun to energize the woods again as it greets natures children with golden rays of warmth.
Welcome to a new day.
What are you most passionate about? What makes your soul sing? For me, I love to break it down and get ‘wild, rugged, and dirty’, so to speak. You can get up close and personal to the great outdoors through my observations and experiences in my “Words From The Wild” blog category. Please feel free to share with others who may find meaning and value in the outdoors from this outdoorswoman’s perspective, and PR Brady AdVentures.
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