noon
It was slightly chilly , but beyond that nothing defaced the temperate beauty of the day , and even that promised to soon dissipate with the continual strengthening of the sun 's warmth . As I walked , or rather , trotted along , it did just that , and in the growing warmth of the day the sweet fragrances of the many various grasses rose to the surface , delighting my odor perceiving sensors with their earthy simplicity . The day marched on , and with it I , and the distant wall of trees began to slowly grow closer . At length , I found myself at their edge , at around the noon hour , and as I came upon the first of them , I leaned against the trunk of a large , thickset tree for a moment of repose and reflection in its shade . It was by all appearances an ancient wood , for the line between it and the prairie was distinct , appearing as if the shrubs and lesser flora had acquiesced to fate and retreated beyond the forest 's claimed boundaries , rather than continue for countless ages to charge and then be pushed back , to gain a foothold only to be thrown out a year or two later . The trees themselves were mighty pinions of strength , tall and of great girth , and spread far apart from one another , leaving wide open spaces between their towering trunks . A short , soft grass clothed the land that stretched on in their midst , joined in its solitude by a hearty looking moss that stretched itself out on the trunks of the trees and on the rocks and boulders that lay scattered here and there among the open spaces .