Lone duck on a pond along the Cape Fear River Trail
Christmas Eve 2012. Time is our friend, but the weather is not. My husband and I decide to chance it and take a 4 mile walk along the Cape Fear River Trail in Fayetteville, North Carolina. The last time we attempted this, we got rained out. We are hoping mother nature will be calm for a couple of hours.
We begin at the Jordan Soccer Complex parking lot and walk past homes and forest. Not long into the walk is a beautiful pond. There are still ducks scattered along the shoreline.
A pond along the Cape Fear River Trail
The sky is gray and heavy, but no sign of rain yet. We continue on the trail and are treated to a gorgeous view of the river. In spring, summer, and fall, it is hidden by the trees and bushes. All of the leaves have fallen to the forest floor, so we can see through the branches to the softly rolling water.
A view of the Cape Fear river
Passing railroad tracks, an outhouse, and several hikers and runners, we approach a small waterfall and old bridge.
An old bridge along the Cape Fear River Trail
An hour into our walk, the sky deepens to a blue/purple/gray, and we smell rain in the future. We turn back at the 2 mile mark. I want to take some photos closer to the river bank, so we step off the path a few feet. There, laying on top of some leaves is an animal skull. It is too large for a squirrel. It has a long snout, so perhaps it is a skunk or opossum. It has been there for quite some time, but even so, there are a few strands of hair still attached.
An animal skull found in the woods along the bank.
We walk back to the car, and get in just in time. The sky coughs, then opens up and rain pelts down around us. We are dry, very well exercised, and ready for the Christmas Eve feast waiting at home.
To see a short video of the walk with more photos and video of the waterfall, click here to go to my You Tube channel.
Gina Genis Blog 