There is truth to the statement that you learn something new everyday.  I found out what muskrats do during the winter season.  In the summer, they can be seen along roadside ditches, munching on fresh grasses and reeds.  In the winter, they are busy as well.  They do not hibernate.  If you drive by a snow covered pond and see small mounds on the surface, they are probably the

handiwork of a muskrat.

I wouldn't want to find out how sharp those little teeth are.  Obviously, they are not only capable of chewing up the reed stalks, but they are also capable of chewing through the ice that forms on lake and pond surfaces.

I was on a pond surface today.  There were numerous mounds

on it.  I took a closer look and saw that the dark areas of the mounds were underwater plants that the muskrats had brought to the surface.

There were many animal tracks in the snow today; coyote, elk, bison.  They criss-crossed the open area like roadways on a map.  The coyotes had checked out all the muskrat mounds.

I took my skis out today.  I use adventure skis that are made for either groomed trails or breaking trail.  They work much better when I'm breaking trail.

I created a large loop that started along the shoreline, went south up to a beaver lodge and then back to where I began.  There is the perfect amount of snow on the pond for x-country skiing.  I went around my loop a couple of times; soaking up the sun and admiring the blue, cloudless sky.  

The temperature was above zero again today.  When I got back from skiing, I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the back deck.  The chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers were busy at the feeders.  A squirrel chattered up in a tree.  A couple of magpies were raiding the grain that was put out for the deer.

It was so beautiful that I looked for more tasks to keep me busy outside. I took down the decorations from my backyard Christmas tree.  I chopped a bin full of wood for the indoor stove.  I could hear water dripping off the garage roof and the snow on my neighbor's metal roof was sliding over the edge; landing in a big bank on the ground.

It sounds like there will be some fresh snow this evening. Another few centimeters would make for excellent skiing in the days to come.