Thorny problems

The loss of a number of duck chicks led to the discovery of a raccoon living in the rafters of the garage. Ousting the raccoon proved fun for the whole family.
Moving and restacking the hay revealed a trail of terror and death as the result of the raccoon having been in the garage for quite a while.
Youth cooking night at the old homestead featured the finest in midwestern cuisine that these two could whomp up - macaroni and cheese, hot dogs. A restaurant opening is next!
A trail I punched in the waning days of my time on the farm back in 2004. Yes, you cannot see the trail anymore. Yet oddly enough, if you know where to look when out in the field, it is still there. Any trail on Pohnpei would be obliterated within 24 months, yet here the traces of a trail remain even five years on.
Trail running here has its own hazards. Thorns are the primary hazard - branches that arch across a trail, branches that were not there yesterday. Recurved thorns that dig in and gouge out ragged gashes.
The trails also feature downed wood. Larger pieces simply trip one, longer ones may flip up and entangle your legs. Small round pieces invariable roll. Sliders roll forward or backward, particularly problematic on a downhill. Side rollers are aligned with the trail and cause one's foot to roll out left or right. This throws one the other way - into the thorns that are inevitably alongside the trail.

In places stumps that are cleverly camouflaged to look like the trail will trip one, sending one head over heels into the thorns. Sunglasses or eye protection is a must - the forest is full of small bugs that aim directly at your eyes. Upon crashing into your eye, they release some form of acid that burns.

The trails have vining roots just under the sandy surface which the tip of your shoe can catch and, again, send you flying into - what else? - the thorns.

Then there are patches of poison ivy, some hairy plant that induces a prickly rash, thistles, and tangled hay fields. Did I mention the thorns?
Above is a deer trail petering along through the woods on the west side of the property.

This is a sandstone slab in a hill side near the trail above, when it rain water cascades over this shelf.

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