Rain on a Tin Roof

As I write, rain is making its music on the tin roof of this century-old hand-hewn pine log cabin in the heart of Conecuh National Forest. I just got back from riding roads in hopes of finding migrating ambystomatid salamanders, like tiger salamanders and (dare I hope) flatwoods salamanders. Not much is happening that I could see, other than a few southern toads and a spadefoot toad or two wandering about. But this is the first major warm rain of the late fall, and somewhere out there the winter-breeding amphibians are stirring near their formerly dry breeding sites. During the time I was out there, I saw no one, and it was as if the 80,000-plus acre forest was all mine. But now I see this disturbing news item about declining use of National Forests. I really wouldn't mind sharing with a few more people.