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the empty meadow Finally, they're done. Each and every one of my "summer" pronghorn classification routes. As in most recent years, my last route was the one that ends at the meadow. And, as in past years, I parked the truck and took a walk. A walk down by the stream. The willows are rounding out nicely, the mushroom shape resulting from years and years of over-grazing is almost gone now. The stream is narrowing, too. With the alternating years of grazing rest, the vegetation is finally starting to reclaim the shore. Instead of a wide, flat flow of warm water over mud and stones, we have a cold, living stream, complete with trout. It's still too wide and shallow, as you can tell by the long stringers of moss that take over when the bottom gets too warm and too much sunlight, but a few more years, or maybe a few more than that, and the moss will be gone, too. There's new, young willows coming in on the banks. A true sign of recovery. If they grow to shade and narrow the stream, it will finally look as it should. I snag a few luckless grasshoppers and throw them in the stream for the trout, but each manages to grab a blade of grass and climb out of harm's way. The trout grows suspicious and darts under an overhanging bank, another feature that did not exist many years back when this stream suffered so. There are gentian, one of may favorite fall flowers, preparing to bloom. As encouraging as all these signs are, it is still a sad walk. I am alone. The heeler sisters have officially retired themselves, as evidenced by their adamant refusals come along on this, my last relaxed field day before hunting seasons consume my hours. As I return to the truck, I notice I still left the driver's door open. Unless we were in a public area, I always left my door open when the heelers and I went for hikes. If anything happened to me, they'd at least be able to get back into the safety of the truck, and be found. Hardly any need for that precaution any more. Not that it would help, with the masked heeler totally blind, and her sister too stove up with arthritis to climb into any vehicle without assistance. No wonder the wife doesn't want them to go. |
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