"The whole forest was peopled with frightful sounds..."

"...-the creaking of the trees, the howling of wild beasts, and the yell of Indians."
-Nathaniel Hawthorne

August 1, 2001

Over Baker, Peru, Bromley.

Picture from top of Bromley Mountain

So, one of the interesting parts about living in the woods for several months is getting used to new sounds.

This evening, I camped down on the top of a random hill in the midst of the forest.  All alone, I settled into my tent at dusk, read my Bible some, and laid down to sleep.

And then I heard a breathy, growl (sounds like this) emanate from the nearby woods.  It immediately sent chills down my spine and I pictured some wild bobcat about to tear my tent and myself inside into shreds.

But nothing happened.

It took awhile to settle down, and awhile longer in the woods before I saw a scared deer make the same noise (see "wheeze" sound at this website).  Apparently, my imagined bobcat was merely a doe.

I've heard the noise from deer since, and it is still unnerving, but not so scary when you know it comes from a prey instead of a predator.

Getting to know the forest sounds...