The wind howled all night long.  Broken branches from the willow tree next door littered my deck and the backyard.  Little snowbanks formed on the driveway from the snow deposited by the wind.

The sky was cloudless and the sun was shining when I went out this morning.  As long as I stayed behind a building the temperature was not bad but as soon as I stepped into an open area, the wind brought that temperature down to where I had to pull up a neck tube.

After shoveling off the driveway and refilling the bird feeders and the deer grain dish, I went back inside for a coffee.  As I sat there trying to decide if I should go skiing, skating or snowshoeing a couple of deer wandered into the yard.  I watched as they ate; always on the look out for the rest of the herd.  The little ones tend to sneak away from the group to grab a snack while the others feed in the forest.

Some surprising visitors showed up today.  At least a dozen evening grosbeaks feasted on the sunflower seeds.  What a joy it was to watch them in action.  I marvel at how they can maneuver the hulls around, crack them and get the seeds out.  They added some color to the white landscape today.

I ventured to the Strathcona Wilderness Centre for a snowshoe outing.  It definitely was not a fitness walk.  It was the first visit to the snowshoe trail this season so I took my time walking it so I could take in the beautiful winter scenes.

It only takes about twenty minutes to walk the packed part of the trail but at the end I dodged tree branches and willow scrub to get to the edge of the forest.  The snow wasn't too deep and the tree line sheltered me from the wind so it was a pleasant one hour walk in the wild.

I was on the look out for Mother Nature's art; snow formations created by the wind or designs etched into the snow from the dried grasses.  There were many to be seen.  

I noticed that the willows were confused.  There were pussy willows open on the branches.

As I made may way around the trail loop I noticed a number of animal tracks.  In numerous spots the mice left visible tunnels and footprints in the soft snow.

The outing was bright, crisp and refreshing!