Nature's Botox

What you see in this picture is fewer lines between my eyebrows than I had when I got up this morning and no, it wasn't just that spending time in the woods has taken years off my life.  I was bushwhacking with the dogs today, having a fine time with my little saw, indiscriminately hacking off branches and saplings if they stood remotely in my way, or in the way of where I think I might be on horseback, which means I frequently had both hands over my head as far as I could reach while I was sawing.  You can see my path here.  One thing about this particular path is that, on foot and going at sawing pace, it seems really, really long. I am disappointed to report that it is, so far, only a little over 1.5 miles round trip from home, and that does not a very long horseride make.  Anyway, at one point as I was slashing my way through the woods, covering myself with sawdust and bits of bark and lichen (it's even worked its itchy way into my undergarments), I stood up right into a spider's web.  I noted a blurry black dot--it was too close to my face to see clearly--batted absently at my hat (I was ON THE TRAIL and TOO BUSY WITH SAWING to worry about my health), and forgot about it.  Imagine my alarm when I returned home, removed said hat and glasses to clean them, and felt that my procerus was distended.  Felt with my hand, mind you--I had not felt a bite with my face.  After a brief surge of anxiety, I took a Benadryl just to be on the safe side, and told MS that she was to watch for any symptoms of arachnid-induced nasal deterioration.  I think it's probably not a big deal, and hey--the wrinkles (well, couple of them) are gone!

Dogs in the woods.  This is one of the paths I cleared!  Okay, okay.  I'm obviously lying.  This represents the kind of wide-open spaces that are found in the deep woods, which lead one to believe that she can clear a deer track through to the next one.  And still know where she is.



This is a mine that I found deep in the woods (well, about 0.75 miles in).  Difficult to see, no?  That's what makes them dangerous!  There was a lot of gold mining once in these here hills . . .