Spooky Tale

It was a cool and sunny day. A perfect day to check out a new park for dog walking, but caught in a terrific traffic jam it soon became evident that there was no way to get to the park through all the traffic and construction. She turned to the right and then another right into the grounds of a psychiatric hospital where one snowy spring day she had seen a silo in the woods. Aha, today the ground will be passable.

There were no clear paths, the ground was uneven with stones, roots and fallen branches covered by damp leaves. Not smart with a twisted ankle, she thought, but kept on going past the silo and the toppled trees to a sign pointing forward to a cemetery. Old dead trees that had withstood the recent storms groaned in the wind and yet, she kept going. Her mind was seemingly trying out to be a Stephen King screenwriter.

Upon reaching the cemetery, it was time to turn back into the blinding sun that made the path more difficult to navigate. It was time to try another path. There she was met by a woman and her dog who reported that the woods were full of coyotes who eat dogs, she kept going. Moments later, in the distance there was the distinct sound of a coyote’s howl and the realization that she didn’t know which path to take to get back.

One path had a huge tree over it, another was surely not right, so she navigated through the brush to the clearing with a great sigh of relief. Looking back into the woods, they suddenly seemed more colorful than while she was there. Fear is in the mind, but I don’t think I will ever go back there.

Mystery in the Woods

I was surprised to find this tall rusty silo on top of a hill in a wooded area yesterday and even more surprised to find an equally old and rusty fire hydrant nearby. Note the snow on the ground in April.

5-D

07/31/10

Ship mast, silos, scaffolding, bridge and scene beyond.