It's been a very long couple of weeks without outdoor time. It was snowing on my one day off last week but that didn't stop me from heading to the trails. It was me and Mother Nature. Who else would have been that crazy to go out in a blizzard?

It's been raining and snowing and raining and snowing. There's so much water standing around that the sump pump in my basement has been pumping for 3 days and it never pumps. This didn't stop me from putting on the rubber boots and seeking some fresh air.
I needed some outdoor time where the only sounds were those of nature. I was not disappointed. Ducks were quacking on the pond. Geese were honking overhead. Coyotes were howling in the forest across the way. 

I found a bench and sat for an hour, in the snow. I breathed in the clean air. I listened to the forest sounds. I watched the swans build a nest. 

Since my last post, I attended an Owl Prowl at the Strathcona Wilderness Centre. This was not the first one that I've gone to but it was the first time that there was a different presenter. It was great. The biologist answered lots of questions and let everyone get a close up look at a barred owl. She demonstrated how they set up nets to capture saw whet owls so they can be banded.

Yesterday I visited the Beaver Hills Biodiversity Trail. There's a lot of water standing in the low spots. Most of the snow is melted. I came across a moose on my travels. The pool thing was tick-ridden as are most of them that I've seen on my way to work.

The birds have been busy in the backyard. I had not one but two pileated woodpeckers on my deck at the same time. What a treat. 

I've got a few days off and am so looking forward to spending it outside; rain or shine. Happy trails!