Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut

We built our house in the middle of a deciduous forest. On purpose. We get the cool shade in the summer and the warming sun in the winter. And we constantly watch for leaning trees & dying branches.

The walk to the field is downhill through these woods, made up largely of oaks and hickories. Last fall, after the leaves fell from the trees and it had rained generously on the leaf litter, I often skated to the chicken coop in the mornings, slick wet leaves over marble-like nuts.

This year a new hazard has shown itself -- falling acorns! It must be an especially good year for mast. I have been tempted some days to wear a hard-hat. Or maybe a toboggan to at least cushion the blow although I decided I couldn't take more ridicule from husband about my cold nature so went back to contemplating the hard hat. I can imagine one of those acorns would split upon hitting my old hard head instead of splitting my head, but one never knows. It would smart at least.

Well, so far they have missed me. I still resemble a cartoon character sometimes rolling/skating/stumbling along on top of the nuts. But I have so far remained hatless.