Finding some Fatwood...taking the scenic route

[Mistwalker]

The last couple of days were really nice…last night was great, I went for an over-nighter up by Davis Pond. I got to walk around for a while when I first got up there, the woods were alive with the sounds of spring. There were lots of Turkey running around, and several Rabbits.

lots of Squirrels as well. The first one is looking through the windshield.

There were lots of spring flowers

The pond

Found a nice stream to sit by for a few minutes.

 

[Mistwalker]

Then a walk through the trees

There are always lots of ferns and moss here this time of year.

I found someone’s home in the trees.

I found a snake enjoying his dinner…I think…though I couldn’t figure out what it was exactly; I didn’t want to disturb it any more than I already had.

And then the sun started setting.

Time for my dinner…mmmmm smoked oysters and crackers. There was a storm that moved through. I have video/audio of that but I’ll have to put it on you tube…too big for photobucket.

 

[Mistwalker]

The next day I walked around the area there at the pond a little more.

The Cherries are coming along, three trees bearing.

Then I rode up the road a way and went for a walk in a different area. Parked here and checked out a stump that I was sure was fatwood.

Even though it looks rotten

there are signs that give it away…the wearing of the rings at the base of the branches.

and sure enough cutting into it…

Fatwood.

and yes it does burn in the rain, and yes that is thunder you hear.

 

[WalterDavis]

Nice pics and a good way to spend a couple of days:thumbup:

 

[Mistwalker]

Nice pics and a good way to spend a couple of days:thumbup:

It was very.....um....theraputic.

 

[ZombaiO]

Amazing pics as always !
Your threads are always a joy for me !

 

[dawsonbob]

Great, as usual. I wish the local area looked like that, but brown can be nice too . . . can't it? Good shots, mist. A nice place to walk and relax.

 

[kgd]

Looks great. Nice tip about the rings on the worn wood. Didn't think of that. I usually go for the little stumps sticking up about 1 foot of the ground. I have noticed that that you can find decent veins of fatwood on the dead and broken limbs off the base of most dead pines.

 

[banana-clip]

Cool pics

 

[Mistwalker]

Amazing pics as always !
Your threads are always a joy for me !

Thanks, glad you enjoy them!

Great, as usual. I wish the local area looked like that, but brown can be nice too . . . can't it? Good shots, mist. A nice place to walk and relax.

Thanks DB, what area are you in?

Looks great. Nice tip about the rings on the worn wood. Didn't think of that. I usually go for the little stumps sticking up about 1 foot of the ground. I have noticed that that you can find decent veins of fatwood on the dead and broken limbs off the base of most dead pines.

Thanks. You can find fatwood in stumps that look like nothing more than a rotten mound from the top...it's just that the wear of the rings like that is a dead give away if you run across it. I've tried to put pictures of all the different ways I find it in the fatwood thread to help people identify it.

Cool pics

Thanks, I think I like the one of the dining snake best this time.

 

[dawsonbob]

Thanks DB, what area are you in?

Hi, mist.

I'm in San Diego, California. I love seeing all the green in your area, but out here, things are mostly brown for most of the year. Fortunately, the mountains are only about an hours drive to the east, and I can get out there from time to time. Even our mountains though, are not as green as your countryside. Still, we have great big pines that are kind of nice. I can't wait to get out again.

 

[Mistwalker]

Hi, mist.

I'm in San Diego, California. I love seeing all the green in your area, but out here, things are mostly brown for most of the year. Fortunately, the mountains are only about an hours drive to the east, and I can get out there from time to time. Even our mountains though, are not as green as your countryside. Still, we have great big pines that are kind of nice. I can't wait to get out again.

I once had a friend who sent me pictures of walks through the forests out there. I think she lived a little north of you, but some of the trees were HUGE. She used to send some beautiful photos...I always wanted to go hiking there.

 

[dawsonbob]

I once had a friend who sent me pictures of walks through the forests out there. I think she lived a little north of you, but some of the trees were HUGE. She used to send some beautiful photos...I always wanted to go hiking there.

We have some pretty big trees in our mountains, but nothing like the ones they have further North. We do have some nice terrain for hiking out here though -- mountains, desert, ocean are all close. The ocean is only a five minute drive from my house, the mountains about an hour, and the desert about two and a half hours. Also, the Pacific Coast Trail starts here and goes all the way to Canada.

If you're ever going to be in the area let me know and we'll set up a hike: it'll certainly be different than the terrain in your neck of the woods.

 

[TheGame]

Great pics, looks like a lot of fun. Pretty neat to see the fatwood burning like that and hearing the thunder at the same time. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mistwalker]

We have some pretty big trees in our mountains, but nothing like the ones they have further North. We do have some nice terrain for hiking out here though -- mountains, desert, ocean are all close. The ocean is only a five minute drive from my house, the mountains about an hour, and the desert about two and a half hours. Also, the Pacific Coast Trail starts here and goes all the way to Canada.

If you're ever going to be in the area let me know and we'll set up a hike: it'll certainly be different than the terrain in your neck of the woods.

Thanks, if I'm ever on that side of the continent I'll hold you to that, I've been wanting to do some hiking in the desert scrup for a long time now.

Great pics, looks like a lot of fun. Pretty neat to see the fatwood burning like that and hearing the thunder at the same time. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks, I sort of cheated and used a bic to ignite the slivers, but the point I wanted to make was that even after days of rain...even in the rain... you can still use it to start a fire. And that even though there were no camp fire pics, lol, it wasn't because I couldn't light one....I just really wanted some time back in the natural world for a couple of days.


I got around to uploading the the other short videos that were too long for Photobucket to you tube today. Just a little glimpse into my vacation

This is a short walk through the woods in the rain.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zObAWnmR00

This is the sound of the pond starting to come to life at sunset.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ToA_o2jYDo

A short video of rain on the pond.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgEeJCa7o30

and these are some of the sounds of the pond at night. You can see the lightning off in the distance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAYbu5-u4kY

and this is the storm approaching in the distance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rswliE-oKg

 

[Joezilla]

hmm, with that white around the mouth it looks like it could be a black rat snake, either that or a racer. Many black rat snakes I've met don't care about eating in front of people. I once caught one and within one minute, had it eat some dove eggs out of my other hand.

 

[Mistwalker]

hmm, with that white around the mouth it looks like it could be a black rat snake, either that or a racer. Many black rat snakes I've met don't care about eating in front of people. I once caught one and within one minute, had it eat some dove eggs out of my other hand.

Well...it rattled it's tale sort of like a bull snake when I got too close so I backed off and let it eat in peace...I know I prefer to eat in peace without someone staring at me the whole time. At first glance I thought it was a cotton mouth since I was right beside the pond and all, and prepared to have to kill it.

 

[dawsonbob]

Thanks, if I'm ever on that side of the continent I'll hold you to that, I've been wanting to do some hiking in the desert scrup for a long time now.

Well, I wouldn't do the desert during the summer, but fall or winter are pretty nice out there. Just let me know in advance if you're ever going to be out here, and we'll set something up.

 

[sicily02]

Great pics and videos Brian, as always. That looks like a pretty good place to do some woods walking in.

Bryan

 

[Mistwalker]

Great pics and videos Brian, as always. That looks like a pretty good place to do some woods walking in.

Bryan

Thanks Bryan. A few miles of the cumberland trail pass through there...and then there are several other trails as well....and there are a lot less people than at Fall Creek Falls....except it can get a bit crowded during hunting seasons