Old Age and the Ice Age
The power of the Ice Age glaciers is ever present in the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania. Piles of rock and stones are often spread out in the forests and wooded areas. Many of the farms have had to remove these rocky deposits before the land could be cultivated and fields are bordered by stacked stone walls. Some glacier-placed huge boulders were strewn across wide areas. There are several places near my home where massive jumbles of rock dominate the landscape. They have aged only a little over the eons. Moss, trees, rain, and snow have done little to diminish their size.
When I turn from the roadway an area I walk is a jumble of rock that forms a jigsaw terrain that’s covered in moss, leaves, and downed trees. There are animal trails and logging roads that make traversing this maze easier; however the weeds, ferns, green-briars, and fallen trees cause detours. They increase the difficulty when I decide to stray from these pathways. That is what I did on my walk Tuesday; I strayed. As I walked my hips and knees increasingly grew tired and worn. I thought I’d follow a game trail as a shortcut. It would cut down the distance that I walked.
The problem was that the game trail disappeared and I found myself in a jumble of boulders. In my old age scrambling over the moss covered boulders is not my idea of a good time. I’m not nearly as spry as I once was. My footing isn’t as sure as it was in my youth. My erratic wandering through the rock strewn woods was epic. Clusters of rocks and debris didn’t allow me to walk around many of the larger boulders. It necessitated that I had to climb up and over them. Scattered around the bases were smaller rocks that were traps for missteps that would twist and probably break an ankle or to cause me to fall on their rugged, hard surfaces. I’d gone beyond the point of no return. I could only forge ahead.
Safely crossing the boulder strewn area, I entered the leaf strewn forest floor. The dangers that were there were smaller rocks that hid an uneven and often hole-covered part that I had to cross. My skills were put to the test. I navigated myself out of the woods and into a neighboring field, making my way back to the house. I was tired to be home, glad that I’d done my shopping earlier.