Hiking to enjoy the little things

in Outdoors and more10 months ago

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❞𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆𝒙 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏, 𝑰 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒇 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒍; 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑰 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒚𝒐𝒕𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒂𝒘𝒏, 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒆 – 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚.❞

~ 𝑯𝒂𝒎𝒍𝒊𝒏 𝑮𝒂𝒓𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒅

I recently went hiking, as much as to get away from the cold concrete walls as it was to get into the open arms of a natural area. Truth be told, I'm very fortunate to stay close to a very nice nature reserve where I visit as regularly as I possibly can. Added bonus: there aren't any coyotes!

It has a number of hiking trails. Some are steep with wooden or stone steps leading up, some are simply narrow walking trails, but there are a good number of kms that you can cover in a day walk. There are benches dotted here and there for those wishing to sit or rest too. I only photographed this one as I liked how perfectly situated in the shade and it has been favoured by the lichen so much that it's started blending in beautifully.


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There has been a substantial amount of rainfall here in the last few weeks, it's come a bit earlier this year too so it was nice to see some water flowing down from the springs and natural reservoirs, along the pathways and when I left I saw that there was also water flowing down the rocks of the mountain side. Unfortunately by that stage I had already exhausted both of my camera batteries so I decided it is simply motivation to go there again soon and capture some of the waterfalls. This trip however, was to go hiking and look for the small details. Oh boy, did I get small details by the bucket load when I started to focus!


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I had to get really close to the ground, like up close and personal with the ground to see some of these. The ground may have felt it was a bit inappropriate of me to be lying on it that way, but it didn't complain. This little clover had dew drops still resting on its leaves in perfect little round balls. I was quite surprised to find they hadn't evaporated because I was there until the late afternoon. Nature has a way of retaining what it needs to I suppose. You can see that the shaded areas of the plant were the areas with the highest concentration of water droplets. I had to wonder what kind of little animals might come visit these plants to sip a tiny little globule of water like this.

And then I turned a corner and looked out over the landscape. I had some vantage from hiking up, up, up all that way. It was a lovely day, white wispy clouds here and there, warm enough to be comfortable while hiking but not too hot that you broke a sweat. Look at that view!!!


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I also found some little insecty creatures by accident. I had to change my camera lens so I lay my camera pack down on the ground and as I started to unzip it, I noticed that I was smack-bang in the middle of a very busy patch of writhing and moving ground. I am SO glad this isn't where I lay down!

Termites Termites everywhere! Going about their tenacious termitey business as they do day in and day out. Go over there, collect a seed pod, take it back to the nest. Go over there and collect a leaf. Take it back to the nest.


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Go over thhhhhheeeeeerrrrrreeeeeee and collect this motherfucking doggamn stupid stick....URRRRRRGGGG!


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I watched this termite for about 15 minutes. It would heave and pull, lift and wiggle, giggle and catch it's breath. Then go round the stick, push it from the side, it even went round the back and tried to enlist some help from a buddy to move this particular stick. It's buddy must have shown him the middle finger because he left very quickly, stiff legged as all hell and disappeared down into the nest with nothing to show for it. Sissy lol.

This little tenacious termite would simply not let us on this stick. He would keep going round and trying to move it this way and that. His determination was very inspirational to watch, but eventually I needed to move on. I left him (and his stick) right there with no disturbance. I'm sure he'll figure it out at some point.


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On the way back down, I was constantly checking to see what the sunlight was hitting as I knew it would illuminate something pretty before I left. I managed to capture the work of a very vigorous spider that was nowhere to be seen in the web, probably chilling somewhere nearby in a silk hammock.

What was the best tiny thing you found on your last hike?


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Thanks so much! I enjoy adding to this special place and always appreciate the support 🦋

I noticed that I was smack-bang in the middle of a very busy patch of writhing and moving ground. I am SO glad this isn't where I lay down!

Ants and termites are awesome to watch :) But I can't say I'd want to lay around with them 🤣

Added bonus: there aren't any coyotes!

What's wrong with coyotes???

This post has been manually curated by the VYB curation project

Hahaha, rather termites than ants to be honest, I think ants are more inclined to bite.

Coyotes can be cool, but also not. Depends on how hungry they are.

Thanks so much for the curation, it's always appreciated. I'm so sorry for the very late reply, been burning the candle on both ends with work commitments.

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Coyotes can be cool, but also not. Depends on how hungry they are.

They're not dangerous, but of course they could make a mess in camp!

Thanks so much for the curation, it's always appreciated. I'm so sorry for the very late reply, been burning the candle on both ends with work commitments

No worries, sometimes my replies ar even later, unfortunately :(

!PIZZA

Nature never ceases to amaze. And sometimes we are awed by the immense and the obvious, but there is so much beauty in the small details that are also capable of blowing us away.

It sounds like you had an interesting hike. But I don't know if the termites would feel harassed, 😂😂

I'm totally with you on that one @coquicoin ! There is always something new to see, if you take the time to observe what's around. I love it.

Hahaha the termites didn't seem too perturbed 🤣, they carried on as if I wasn't even there. I would love to know what amount of biomass enters their nests in an average day, it's probably quite substantial.

Living close to nature is among my biggest dreams. I would most likely never stay one entirely day at home because I'd be out there exploring new paths so I envy you for this opportunity and the beautiful landscapes surrounding you! <3

Thanks for coming by @gabrielatravels - I appreciate your kind words and understand the envy, it is a stunning place. Every time I go there, there is something new I discover. Hang onto the dream and one day, you'll reach it! 🦋

Thanks for taking the time to pause and appreciate the world around you and share it with us !LUV

Thanks for coming round and enjoying me sharing it with you, it was a very fun hike. Only regret is that it was too short.

Beautiful! There can be so much majestic beauty even in the small, and the ordinary... all we have to do is truly open our eyes and look... looks like a lovely hike!

Hello there @labyrinths

Thanks so much for the kind words, I do so enjoy finding the little details that we miss. They're always there though. I can't wait to get back out there. Do you have a favourite natural place nearby that you visit?

Nature's beauty is incomparable. It often amazes me whenever I witness something like those in your pictures though I grow up in a county. It's just awesome! 🌻🤗

That is a dreamy place, there is so much natural beauty there that I think you could spend years taking pictures. Hiking allows us to discover enchanting places.

Hi @alborhada Thanks for coming round and reading my post. It is a lovely spot and has become one of my favourites to walk when I get the opportunity to slip out and go there. You are so right, years of pictures indeed.

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I like your cover photo can I use it?

Hi @huruhupes630

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Best to say no.

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I would like to use your photo as the cover image for my post on Hive. I am writing a story and I think your photo suits it well. I will use it when my story finish's.

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I spend a lot of time and effort in taking my photographs and writing my posts here. Your account has 26HP staked. You seem to like gambling the Hive rewards that you DO earn on a cryptospin game.

Unfortunately I will have to refuse your request. My photography is not going to support gambling. Sorry.

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Love how you described the termite scene and can't help but wonder if termites there are like (y)our ants? Or do you have ants too, out there?

No termites, here in Portugal, but plenty of ants.

I hung out with a friend yesterday - and her two daughters ( age 7 and 9 ) - and the girls and I saw a caterpillar being attacked by a handful of little agressive ants.

The hairy fello was trying to escape them, in vain.

We decide to intervent ( at the risk of angering the gods haha ) and save the caterpillar from the ants.

In all honesty, when we found it lying next to the swimming pool ( exhausted or dying ), we decided to move it to a shadowy spot on a cool stone, 50 meters awaya. We laid it down it on a bed of leaves. The girls covered it with more leaves, so it could rest and or go to caterpillar heaven ( butterflying ).

Awesome pictures. Sure sounds like a lovely walk!