Give Me A Sign

Posted On April 7, 2026

Well, that’s it.

Seven cedar post mounted signs installed in seven days. Now the Monroe Wildlife Area’s National Wildlife Federation “Certified Wildlife Habitat” status is official.

It only took 35 years!

Thirty five years spent clearing miles of tangled barbed wire and long since abandoned rusted farm debris remnants. Thirty five years spent remediating two centuries of poor farming practices and non existent land management. Thirty five years spent hand digging ponds and drainages, reopening long since forgotten water flows and reviving drowned land. Thirty five years spent reforesting the land, rectifying War of 1812 clear cutting and post war potato/cabbage cultivation endeavors. Thirty five years spent cutting in trails and building stringer bridges to facilitate access to all of it.

Why did I undertake this grueling, grinding, often furustrating life mission? A question I’ve asked myself repeatedly over the course of time, to which the answer has become crystal clear. I did it for my family, my wife, my children and my granddaughters, Ari Rae & Alayna.

“Look Grampa! A snake hole!”

“Look Grampa! A woolly bear!”

“Look Grampa! A bug!”

“Look Grampa! Deer poop!”

“Look Grampa! MORE deer poop!”

Deer, turkeys, Canada geese, bobcats, rabbits, fisher, fox, grey & red squirrels, chipmunks, weasels, racoon, mink, muskrat, beaver, porcupines, coyotes, opossum, owls, hawks, several duck species, song birds & skunks.

The Monroe Wildlife Area now provides habitat for all of them.

How many three year olds know the difference between goose, turkey & deer poop?

How many one year olds not only can tell a wood duck or mallard duck from a Canada goose,

but know their call languages and are conversant in all of them?

Now, Ari Rae may grow into a fashionista type girly girl. That appears to be her inner spirit’s voice. We all celebrate that. A beautiful dress clad dancer’s soul who wouldn’t hurt a fly (but might stomp a spider). That’s who she is. Fine with me.

But the day will come when some unwary young teenage buck, in an effort to impress a cheerleader’s outfit clad Ari Rae with his woodsman’s skills, will take her out back for a walk through the forest. Suddenly, she’ll put her finger to her lips, grab his arm, pull him down behind a tree, and begin purring & clucking. A few moments later, one brightly colored bobbing head will appear, then two. A pair of tom turkeys will start strutting & gobbling in response to her calls.

Ari Rae will then whisper softly in the astonished young buck’s ear:

“The one on the left is a jake, you can tell by the two raised center tail feather’s on his fan.”

Then, as that young buck’s brain is trying to process what’s his senses are seeing and hearing…

“BAM!!”

The long beard will drop right there in front of them and out from behind a brush pile a few yards away will roll a fully camo clad, face painted, twenty guage wielding Alayna Grace. She’ll calmly eject her spent shell & retrieve her downed bird as she remarks:

“Nice calling job, Sis. I’ve been working those birds for an hour. They hung up about seventy yards out. Couldn’t get them to commit. You always were a better caller than me. Looks like wild turkey soup will be on Bull Rush Bay’s camp menu again this year. “

Ari Rae will just smile & nod, standing there in her cheerleader’s getup as she asks her speechless mouth agape young buck:

“Have you met my sister?”

Trust me.

That’s happening one of these days.

When it does…

Mission complete.

**********

Until Our Trails Cross Again:

ADKO