The Woodchuck and the Bald Eagle

I'm thankful for Covid vaccines.

Because of their effectiveness, the uncharacteristically angst-ridden and recently jammed villages of northern New Hampshire emptied right before our return to Jackson. We arrived on Tuesday of last week, and we've yet to encounter the crowds witnessed from March of 2020 through April of 2021. It's a pleasure to meander through the woods and feel like nemophilists again. Our woodland haunts have always been sacred.

You can imagine how it felt to be constantly chastised for being who we've always been.

Out west, depending upon the month and the region, our concerns are rattlesnakes, mountain lions, javelinas, scorpions, elk, mountain goats, and grizzlies. But over the past four or five years, I worry mostly about human interaction back in New Hampshire.

We’ve encountered coyotes, black bears, moose, and deer when walking through the White Mountain National Forest (WMNF). None of them are a threat to our way of life.

The biggest wildlife concern is an occ…