The altitudes of atmos

As much as the forest goes up and down, it hasn't really much variety otherwise.  There are no streams or ponds or marshy bits.  There are no clearings.  There are more oak trees on one side, and there are more ferns in another section; the undergrowth varies somewhat, but there isn't a whole lot of it and the forest is basically tall and straight pines above a bed of their acidic needles.

I've experienced some swings of drama in there, mainly loose dogs (oddly enough, the one today was held back even though it was the same black female lab that has met us a few times now, including once in the owner's presence).  However, apart from the thrill of running the Triplet, and the more usual general decline during a run, there usually isn't a whole lot of change or novelty. 

So when I heard a new bird call this morning, I was piqued.  There are mockingbirds here and I have been fooled by them before, but I've noticed a certain artificiality in their performances--I can't describe it except that it sounds like a bird imitating another bird, or sometimes a bunch of different other birds in quick succession.  It's sort of akin to a man singing falsetto, I suppose. 

The call this morning, however, seemed more genuine.  I  have very poor depth perception, if any at all (thank you, childhood lazy eye--but hey, drawing is easier, I just pick an eye, and 2D movies and TV are just as good as real life), and so picking out a bird in a forest is usually an aggravating and futile task unless it's moving a lot or there's a forced perspective cue to aid me. 

Fortunately, it's pretty hard to miss one of these: http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/red-headed_woodpecker/id

I've been hoping to see one for a while!  I'm an lazy selective birdwatcher: either snazzy birds (plumage or vocal-wise) or birds that come into my backyard and do amusing things like squabble. 

Seeing the red-headed woodpecker was a big thrill, and I walked on feeling almost complete satisfaction with everything, which is pretty rare.

A few minutes later, a bout of human and canine screaming erupted.  Not from us!  Something was happening deeper into the forest, or perhaps on the hunting farm behind it--I couldn't tell how many humans or dogs were involved, but the sound kicked up suddenly, lasted about half a minute, and then there was a gap until it happened again.  The dogs (or dog?) wasn't yelping or barking, it was a more desperate sound, and the people sounded panicked too.  I couldn't distinguish any words.  And I couldn't tell how far away they were except that they weren't really close.  I'd estimate about a mile away.

My first thought was of feral dogs.  With all the loose dogs about here, and the possibility that some are further neglected if not mistreated, it's not a huge stretch to imagine a few of them deciding to start a club and hit the burg.  So, maybe a pack of dogs set upon someone walking their pet...I started to look for a large stick.   And I started to feel angry.

Usually, I try to hold my vexation in and be nice, and all, but if I'm in a place where there might be something going down, it feels more comfortable to feel more tough.  I breathe deeply, stoke up the heat in my core (not my head, I still want to be calm), and probably the bitchface goes on too.

And then I saw a pale animal dart by, but not closely.  Usually pale means a deer, more specifically, a deer butt or tail, but the little I saw of this creature suggested a pale torso, paler than a deer, and smaller than a deer.  But it could have been the light.  It could have been my stereoblindness.  However, the thing did not run like a deer at all.  No bounding.  It ran like a dog. 

I haven't mentioned this before, but there have been a few times where my dog has stopped to stare and whine at something that I just couldn't see.  Once in particular he was very insistent, and it was hard to get him to move on, and he is not like that, even with deer and foxes and other exciting wild animals.

Now we know what it is!  Ghost dog!  We'll see if we'll meet it again.  It's not worth worrying about, but of course it'll add at least a little frisson to our runs. 

And walks...yeah, we're both taking it easy today.  I haven't done the daily double yet, either.