I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I saw a snowshoe hare yesterday and it was as white as could be. That's probably a good thing since there was another four inches of snow at the beginning of the week.

It began with rain that turned into big, wet flakes that kept falling until everything was wearing a blanket of white again. I must admit that it did look beautiful but even this winter person is longing for camping season.

On Tuesday morning I had to dig out the snowshoes again for my daily hike. I put them away thinking that they wouldn't be needed until next winter. Silly me.

I ventured to my favorite trail. It looked like a perfect snowy Christmas card. My timing was impeccable. I went out early while the snow still clung to the branches. An hour later would have found me dodging the melting snow as it dropped from overheard.

Young trees were bent over under the weight of the white stuff; creating obstacles to get around. That was tricky. I didn't want to knock the branches and end up with snow down the back of my jacket.

The towering spruce and poplar trees were wearing stripes. The wet snow clung to the rough bark creating patterns in the woods.

There were lots of animal tracks on the trail and through the trees. The black feathers of a crow lay under a spruce. A coyote ate well the night before. That is one thing that I will miss once the snow is gone. I could see all the tracks of the nocturnal animals in it.

The woods were silent and peaceful. It was beautiful but I'm ready for spring.