This Walk I Take

I found this trail across from the lake. It is on the other side of the road so I have never thought of exploring it. Now that I have; I walk it everyday. It is a bike path. Gravel. It runs a through the middle of two farms. One morning, a foggy morning, while I was walking it; the field to my left was full of grazing cows. They came to the small fence to greet me. Some were hostile. Have you ever seen hostile cows? I did. They gave me attitude. On my right is corn. Rows and rows and now that fall is here it is all brown. When the wind blows the whole field rattles. I almost had a heart attack one day when three pheasants exploded out of the stalks. If only I had a camera(or a gun). I'm not a hunter but some primal part of me wanted to smell the roasting birds on a spit. On this walk I have seen wild turkeys, snakes sunning themselves on the path(I picked one up once), hawks, and one time a deer in the brown corn. We stared at each other. He had enough and turned and crashed through the field. The path turns. It goes through a shaded section of woods. Many colored leaves carpet the ground. Then I find myself walking along another field where a dilapidated old barn leans against the wind. The path finally comes to a hidden lake. I saw a turtle on a log. I see fish jumping up to eat bugs. And get this: I saw a water snake swimming on the surface. Spooky. This path...I go to it everyday. Most times I don't pass a soul. It's all mine. When I do see someone, I say the obligatory "hello" and don't find relief until their gone. I talk to the animals I see, I talk to the trees that have turned a brilliant red, I talk to the lake, the sky, the clouds. Am I mad? No...honestly...when I'm out there...I have never felt more sane...more together.