I spent New Year's Day on snowshoes in the woods. What a great way to begin a new year.
There was fresh snow on the trail and I was the first human out there. The deer, moose, coyotes, hares, mice and squirrels got a head start and were out before me. What fun it was following the tracks to see where they had wandered.
The morning began with clouds in the sky but the sun came out by the time I got to the Beaver Hills Biodiversity Trail. The sky was clear. The air was crisp. It was perfect.
There was fresh snow on the trail and I was the first human out there. The deer, moose, coyotes, hares, mice and squirrels got a head start and were out before me. What fun it was following the tracks to see where they had wandered.
The morning began with clouds in the sky but the sun came out by the time I got to the Beaver Hills Biodiversity Trail. The sky was clear. The air was crisp. It was perfect.
A slight breeze rustled the last of the fall leaves that were clinging to branches. The tall, bare aspens creaked as they gently swayed back and forth. A squirrel rested in a tree. I marveled at how the spindly branch did not bend with the squirrel perched on it. A woodpecker worked at the bark at the top of a tree; raining wood chips down to the trail.
The snow that fell the day before filled the vacated bird nests and settled on the shelves formed by the fungi growing on the tree trunks. It crunched under my snowshoes and sparkled in the morning sun. It covered the ponds. Animal tracks criss-crossed through it creating a 'road map' effect.
I didn't want to leave the forest but eventually had to. As I pulled into my driveway, the deer were coming into my backyard to raid my feeders. They don't appear to mind me in the yard, especially when food is involved. I watched as they emptied the sunflower seeds. I found that as long as there are seeds in the feeders, the deer leave my trees and shrubs alone. They come, they eat, they leave and move on to the next yard.
The rest of the day was spent watching the birds. Chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, woodpeckers and a dark eyed junco took turns at the tray feeder on my deck. The pileated woodpecker is my favorite. Its movements are quite comical.
Spending the morning in the fresh air and then watching Mother Nature's creatures was a great way to begin a new year. I'm hoping that you too will have the opportunity to spend some 'rejuvenation time' outside. It does a body and mind good.
Happy trails 'til next Friday!
The snow that fell the day before filled the vacated bird nests and settled on the shelves formed by the fungi growing on the tree trunks. It crunched under my snowshoes and sparkled in the morning sun. It covered the ponds. Animal tracks criss-crossed through it creating a 'road map' effect.
I didn't want to leave the forest but eventually had to. As I pulled into my driveway, the deer were coming into my backyard to raid my feeders. They don't appear to mind me in the yard, especially when food is involved. I watched as they emptied the sunflower seeds. I found that as long as there are seeds in the feeders, the deer leave my trees and shrubs alone. They come, they eat, they leave and move on to the next yard.
The rest of the day was spent watching the birds. Chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays, woodpeckers and a dark eyed junco took turns at the tray feeder on my deck. The pileated woodpecker is my favorite. Its movements are quite comical.
Spending the morning in the fresh air and then watching Mother Nature's creatures was a great way to begin a new year. I'm hoping that you too will have the opportunity to spend some 'rejuvenation time' outside. It does a body and mind good.
Happy trails 'til next Friday!
No comments:
Post a Comment