Cheeseburgers and Ice Caps

Happy first day of 2013!  It is a glorious one.  I ventured to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre this morning.  I haven't been there for awhile so wanted to check out the snowshoe trail.  Today's outing was a peaceful walk in the woods for fun, fresh air and photos.  I had to take advantage of the temperature and the sunshine.

It appeared that the warm weather is confusing the willows.  It is January 1st and the pussy willows are breaking out.  What is going on?

There were lots of moose tracks in and out of the willow thicket.  I could see where the moose had pruned the branches; using them for a tasty meal.

The chickadees were busy flying from shrub to shrub looking for tasty seeds to satisfy their need for a quick snack.  Their 'cheeseburger' call echoed through the trees.

Half the trail meanders through the forest.  The other half follows the shore of Bennett Lake.  A warm wind was gusting out in the open; creating some beautiful winter art in the snow cover.

Snow devils were churning through the bulrushes.  You could hear the gentle sound of the dried grasses as they fluttered in the air.  The snow was drifting along the flats, filling the tracks left by the snowshoers ahead of me.  I stopped to take in the landscape and noticed the art being created in the surface of the snow blanket.

 
The wind was using the grasses and reeds like a carver uses tools to create intricate designs in an art project.  The grass heads made fine patterns in the loose snow as the wind blew them back and forth.

The thicker stems created circles as they were blown about alongside the trail.

The trail eventually winds its way back into the trees.  Bunches of bright red cranberries clung to the bare branches just waiting for the birds to come and have a feast.

The fluffy snow caps that the tree stumps wore after the last snowfall are now ice caps teetering on the edge; hanging on only until the sun melts the icy bond.


It was a peaceful morning filled with nature's beauty and my preferred kind of cheeseburgers and ice caps.

Embrace winter in Alberta.  Take a walk on the wild side.  Enjoy mother nature's art.