I
think January has returned. It was -24C at 7am on Monday and today it
is -26C. -26C on April 6! That is not going to help melt all the snow.
I pulled out some old photos of my yard for comparison. In 2016,
there was no snow left at the end of March. This year, I still cannot
see my garden beds. Even if the groundhog predicted 6 more weeks of
winter, we are beyond that.
Even though the morning temps were chilly, I donned the winter gear and made my way to the trails for my daily hike. Visiting each day provides me the opportunity to see who visits overnight. There are usually fresh tracks in the snow. I've been trying to ID them. That has been a lot of fun. This week I saw something new!
There was a lot of untouched snow on the pond surfaces so when I came round a bend and saw rows and rows of deer tracks, I knew something was up. They all lead to one spot; a small area that the beavers had dammed up. The scene looked like the remains of a party gone wrong; a rumpus if you are familiar with the story 'Where the Wild Things Are'.
The snow was trampled and discolored with bodily fluids. Large clumps of hair lay on top of the crusty snow. I've seen does fight when they get angry and it isn't pretty. They rise up on their hind legs and bring their hooves down on their foe; tearing hair out in the process. There had to be a lot of does and a lot of foes to warrant the scene in front of me.
I didn't have my snowshoes with me that day. I tried walking out on the ice surface but there was still a meter of snow and I was sinking past my knees. I took the snowshoes out the next day. By that time, the scavengers had been around to check things out. Birds left wing imprints in the snow and coyote tracks crisscrossed the deer tracks. I could only imagine the fight that happened a couple nights prior.
I noticed that there has been more action in the woods of late. The hares, coyotes, foxes, and squirrels have been more active. The squirrels have been breaking into their food stores. I often wondered where all the hazelnuts go before they ripen. I found out this week when I came upon the broken open shells at the entrance to a squirrel tunnel in the snow.
The mice are venturing out to the surface of the snow rather than traveling through their tunnels. The magpies are busy gathering twigs and constructing nests. The geese are back. I could hear their honking overhead. Too bad their ponds are still covered in ice and snow. I hope that spring actually arrives before the swans do. I've been watching them raise their young for two summers now and hope to do so again.
The forecast for next week is looking more spring-like. Here's hoping that turns out. Some garden centres and greenhouses have delayed their openings by a couple of weeks. Last year the driving ranges were open. This year they will have to plow them out if they are hoping for an early opening.
Bundle up and head out to enjoy that last bit of crisp, fresh air. Think spring as you watch for all the signs that indicate that it is just around the corner. Enjoy!
Even though the morning temps were chilly, I donned the winter gear and made my way to the trails for my daily hike. Visiting each day provides me the opportunity to see who visits overnight. There are usually fresh tracks in the snow. I've been trying to ID them. That has been a lot of fun. This week I saw something new!
There was a lot of untouched snow on the pond surfaces so when I came round a bend and saw rows and rows of deer tracks, I knew something was up. They all lead to one spot; a small area that the beavers had dammed up. The scene looked like the remains of a party gone wrong; a rumpus if you are familiar with the story 'Where the Wild Things Are'.
The snow was trampled and discolored with bodily fluids. Large clumps of hair lay on top of the crusty snow. I've seen does fight when they get angry and it isn't pretty. They rise up on their hind legs and bring their hooves down on their foe; tearing hair out in the process. There had to be a lot of does and a lot of foes to warrant the scene in front of me.
I didn't have my snowshoes with me that day. I tried walking out on the ice surface but there was still a meter of snow and I was sinking past my knees. I took the snowshoes out the next day. By that time, the scavengers had been around to check things out. Birds left wing imprints in the snow and coyote tracks crisscrossed the deer tracks. I could only imagine the fight that happened a couple nights prior.
I noticed that there has been more action in the woods of late. The hares, coyotes, foxes, and squirrels have been more active. The squirrels have been breaking into their food stores. I often wondered where all the hazelnuts go before they ripen. I found out this week when I came upon the broken open shells at the entrance to a squirrel tunnel in the snow.
The mice are venturing out to the surface of the snow rather than traveling through their tunnels. The magpies are busy gathering twigs and constructing nests. The geese are back. I could hear their honking overhead. Too bad their ponds are still covered in ice and snow. I hope that spring actually arrives before the swans do. I've been watching them raise their young for two summers now and hope to do so again.
The forecast for next week is looking more spring-like. Here's hoping that turns out. Some garden centres and greenhouses have delayed their openings by a couple of weeks. Last year the driving ranges were open. This year they will have to plow them out if they are hoping for an early opening.
Bundle up and head out to enjoy that last bit of crisp, fresh air. Think spring as you watch for all the signs that indicate that it is just around the corner. Enjoy!
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| Spring 2016. Where's the snow? |
 |
| Spring 2018. Where's the garden? |
 |
| Deer tracks lead to the beaver dam. |
 |
| Remnants of a big fight. |
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| The scene after the deer left. |
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