An Assignment. Sorry for the interruption
Gravel crunching, crunching, crunching.
Annoying. Distraction. Unproductive.
At another time.
Stand waiting, Mr King. ©
Today, it punctuates the determined stair-stepping of the water rushing down.
It’s got direction. Knows exactly where it’s going.
Nothing gets in its way.
Not even the methodical crunching crunching crunching along side.
Passers-in-the-night sort of thing.
Aware. Not care.
They run along together – each focused somewhere else.
But that’s the way it is. To each their own.
The hurrying breeze carrying its own tune as it slips through evergreen branches as smoothly as silk-wrapped ladies rushing to their symphony seats before the first note.
The bees, sent with a shopping list, waste no time evaluating and judging which posturing petal is worth a stop.
The jewel-toned jay attempting to appease the fuzzy lump of fledglings who rush her when she arrives.
All on assignment – day’s work decided – and well in progress.
Gravel’s crunch, crunch, crunch not of interest.
Yes? May We help you? It appears you are not in the invitation list.©
Except to one.
Clearly startled , but not relinquishing their table.
The doe raises her head with the dignity of a regent. Protocol trained to excuse clumsy intrusions.
“My dear,” she expresses firmly, “We have reservations. You are early.”
With delicacy, she returns to her dining and her companions.
Ignoring the faux pas.
I bow out. Soften the scwunch, scwunch, scwunch of the gravel trail.
Searching for my assigned seat.
Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge.
Estes Park fall in the meadow (only a skinned knee – it’s OK) ©
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Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge 
Our clover filled lawn is awaiting dining deer and we have hosted precious few thus far… and not a single fawn that we’ve seen. Still, we’re optimistic they will come again this year. We can watch them from various vantage points and they never cease to amaze us with their beauty and regal posture.
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Do you have crimson clover? That blooms in spring here.(and cows will break fences to get to it). No doubt the deer are spreading the word of your dinner invitation. Arriving soon! Thanks for roaming around here
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So enjoyed the walk and the friends along the way.
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Stranger in a strange land…but which is which? Glad you packed some ideas and came along!
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Wonderful. There is a lot to love here. I especailly like the meter of the first two lines. It captures the feeling of gravel perfectly. Bees do have a shopping list. And deer. Yes. They are grace incarnate.
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There’s always a rock in my shoe…always. Sometimes it’s OK if you at work inside and can take that shoe off easily to grab it…is the rock really the outdoors is sending a memo? (Or a trail revenge: “We know who you are and where you live” message…ahhhhhhh!..insert giggles here). Thanks for stopping to turn over a few stones with words here.
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Too fun. Let’s put the two together and turn that pebble into a threatening message o.O
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Obviously a rocky event. Perfect excuse to hop on outta here.
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At night, after we’re well turned in, sleeping deer flatten our daffodil fronds and pachysandra. In the day we see only their impressions. During they day they are elsewhere. On assignment. Thanks for this lovely early-summer walk!
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Wistful thinking – it’s back to scorching summer here (with humidity adding showers periodically).
How funny the deer have decided you yard is the best hotel.
Right now things are green and deer friendly – so the subdivisions here haven’t seen hoofed invasions yet.
Thanks for trotting by
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Assignment for one; intrusion for another?
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At this rate, I’ll never get the 14-ers climbed. Too much along the way. Instruction is comes from the oddest places. Thanks for hiking over
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Here’s hoping your quest leads to enlightenment, my friend.
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Ditto. Might be stumbling, but the important thing is to keep moving forward. Enjoy the times, Hook. Thanks for climbing over
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Trying some new stuff with WP writing101…but bound to hit a wall trying to post as usual and attempt their “assignments”…tomorrow’s won’t fit their mold…but something too silly to pass up showed up, Hook. You know you just can’t pass on some stuff. Thanks for following the path to here
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Now I may be out of line here Phil but you identify these pictures as being in Colorado. You usually highlight Galveston area. Mayhaps thou hast wandered the gravel trail a smidgen too far on thine hike? When your breathe plumes ice crystals and the water can be walked on, tis possible you’ve strayed beyond the reach of any poisonous snakes. The deer aren’t dining, they’re hiding their smiles while they giggle : Look at the sunhat and the shorts – Tee Hee – look she’s driving a convertible- she’ll get frostbite just scraping her windshield with her credit card. Tee Hee. No wonder the Blue Jay can’t find your reservation – she thinks perhaps she has some reservations about your presence. What strange creature is this who stomps into our establishment smelling of seaweed and suntan lotion? I’d best call Sherriff Eagle to have this strange being checked out. Perhaps she’s not well and has strayed beyond her normal range. Perhaps climate change has confused her.
Have a great day Phil Hedgemouse and say Hi to your cousins the Colorado field mouse family.
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Strike. Oh, sorry about that rattle snake. Apparently he had the next available table…unless that hawk dives in first. Such a popular place…shortly to be overrun by those shod in inappropriate footwear and focused on spotting cute t-shirts. (GO! They need the tourist dollars!)
Better to loll back until chill and then catch the gold hanging on trees and silver streaking in skies.(Attempting to morph WP writing101 challenge’s assignments to regular style and posts…will keep you posted…tomorrow’s will probably earn a chair facing the corner) Thanks for shivering along with the marmots
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Pardon my elevation. Rattlesnakes are good to about 9,000 feet – I thought Estes was higher than that but it’s only 7,522 feet. My profoundest apologies. Climb higher Philmouse – you’ll be safe. Climb little Mouse, Climb!
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Snakes, being self directed self directed, are an independent lot and do enjoy a vacation between May and October (books, not people, say below 8,000 feet)…usually around Morrison, Golden (mining and beer attracts all sorts) or perhaps a concert at Red Rocks…lower levels for sure. But if you are traveling with a snake magnet (humorously call “The Snake Charmer”), you may turn a corner and there’s Mr No Shoulders (but, despite re-told legends, he denies being a rattler insisting he hikes quite quietly. Rapid retreat limits exchanging business cards. He does not like his solitary meditation disturbed.) But yes, prefer the tundra snake clear zones. Thanks for rattling out comfort for travelers
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Hey Phil, I really enjoyed this… a wonderful walk of interest…
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Working piece for WP writing101…difficult to break out of normal posting style and play it straight. Glad you stopped by and decided to hike along
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Love the thought of the bees with their shopping list. And I love that gravel sound. Engrained in my brain now.
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There’s something about that crunching footstep sound that sticks with you.(Should we start singing “The ants go marching one by one…”?) Seriously early on isolated trails there’s something nice about that. Glad you found something that tickled your brain. Thanks for marching along
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We had quite the lively dinner discussion tonight because there was a baby deer (really tiny, must have been just recently born) curled up against our house, no family in sight. I was so worried about it. At first we thought maybe he was injured since he didn’t get up to leave when my husband went out there. After much debate, my youngest and I decided to at least take it some water in this heat, and if it was still there in the morning, we’d call animal services. Then, while we were finishing dinner, we saw the little guy get up, and on wobbly legs, trot out of our yard. I’m relieved he’s not injured, but I’m worried he won’t find his kin and will be all on his own. 😦
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Right now the babies are tucked into the oddest places. The moms place them carefully in what they consider a safe during the day and firmly tell them not to move – and they don’t. Mom goes off and eats and returns later. Here, the NASA wildlife person is constantly on alert and quick to place orange cones around one to tell employees the situation is being monitored and to stay away. (They have to watch for fire ants which will swarm, attack through nose, mouth, eyes, ears…pretty nasty death)
Sounds like you did the exactly what experts say. Let’s hope the little guy heard mom calling and it was time to go home. Hope the writing (and summering) is going well! thanks for trotting along here for a while
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Oh, good, you’ve made me feel better. He got up so unexpectedly and took off that maybe he did indeed hear his mother. I’ll go with that. Makes me happy. 🙂
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A interesting thing happened while I was reading this post… at about the time of “The hurrying breeze…” Richard Attenborough’s voice took hold and recited all the way down to ” …faux pas”. So beautifully poetic, I couldn’t blame him for dropping in 🙂
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Woo. Impressive. Forests tend to do things like that? Appreciate the kind words and you stopping during the hike
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Oh, I love this. Such beautiful writing of a beautiful scene.
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Sigh. Need a return trip. The little videos recorded of stream and whispering woods are nice, but..sigh. Thanks for venturing along
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You have such an awesome style. I can really define what it is, but I enjoy it. How did you come into your voice like this? Have you always written this way? I look forward to reading more from you!
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Used to write long long flowing (but well constructed sentences), but people would get tired and walk away. So I chopped it. Style/voice develops over time. Just write. Appreciate the kind words. Thanks for rambling through
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It’s the Rockies. All the trails are crunchy. Even the “dirt” ones. Perhaps so we’ll better appreciate the sounds of wind and water and wildlife when we pause?
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You know that crunch. Even that is a welcomed sound. Thanks for spotting the trail.
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you crunched the assignment and no need for any apologies, solid finish . . . hope you find the assigned seat soon. but then again, it’s nice to ramble and visit with the crowd. 😛
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Summer was always crunch time for us. Withdrawal is brutal (giggles those are the biggest jays with the most self esteem I’ve ever come across) Thanks for reserving a comment spot
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