Hitting the Trail

 

“You want to be careful about not going into the brush without checking first. The last thing you need is for a snake or a scorpion to say howdy while your trousers are down.”
“I don’t recall having to deal with venomous snakes before.”
“You were a town dweller, John” she said, giving him a glance over her shoulder. “You don’t hunt, but you shoot. You’re used to tailored clothing. You can rule out being a farmer or a homesteader from your life.”
“That still leaves a lot of choices.”
They came around a massive live oak and he saw the creek, dragonflies hovering over the shimmering water. A blue jay disturbed by their passage called out raucously from a maple and another bird answered. It seemed peaceful out here in the woods even though danger was everywhere, according to Kate.



--[WIP, Working Title] FOR THE LOVE OF A SMUGGLER 

c. 2025, all rights reserved

 

    September is college football season in Gainesville, but for me it's the beginning of Florida hiking season. It's too wet, muggy, buggy, and hot in the summer, but September to May is the time to get out and explore all of the state, city, and county trails near me.

Because I haven't been hiking (my son tells me I can't call it hiking when there are no hills, much less a mountain, but he doesn't live here, so there) since last May I opted for a two mile loop rather than my usual 5-7 mile trek. I put the top down on the convertible and headed up the road to a county trail only a few miles from my house but rural enough that I could recharge my back-in-nature batteries. It was an ideal walk. I didn't see any snakes on the  trail but I saw plenty of animal burrows and scared off a doe who'd wandered too close to where the trail came around a bend.

I was also grateful to the trail blazers, the people who leave clear color guides to make sure folks don't wander off. This loop offered a bit of rolling terrain, always my favorite way to feel like I'm getting out and about, and good conditioning for my longer hikes later this season.

I try to incorporate local color into my stories. My Florida isn't at the beach but in the woods and prairies, the savannahs and oak hammocks. Bringing my home to life in my writing is one of the best parts of my job, and I love it when I hear from readers in Paris or Berlin or London telling me they didn't know any Florida history before they read one of my novels--all they knew was South Beach and Disney. 

So if you're fortunate enough to be able to get out there and be one with nature, I highly recommend it. It always leaves my mind in a better place than when I started and is an excellent way to step away from the stress and turmoil of current times. (Pssst--don't wear earbuds, let yourself be open to all the natural sounds. You can always catch that podcast later.)