This morning I was undecided as to where to hike today.  It was already almost noon when I tossed some snacks into my backpack and headed out the door.  I ended up at Elk Island on the Beaver Pond Trail.

There were small patches of wispy clouds in a bluebird sky.  The sun felt warm and made for a pleasant hiking day.

The bison seem to like this trail.  Each time that I walk it, there are large bison 'pies' that I have to tiptoe over.  It is rather silly that at the trail head there are doggy-doo bags provided so you can clean up after your pooch yet the pies left by the bison could fill up more than one pair of shoes.

All was quiet in the treetops.  The squirrels on the ground were the only noise makers today.  I couldn't tell if they were playing a game of tag or hard-to-get.  They would chase each other over logs, around bushes and up and down tree trunks.  A couple of them were close to running into me.

I met up with one other person today.  I think he had just stopped so his dog could do his business.  He didn't look dressed for an outing.

It's going to take awhile to melt all the snow that is tramped down on the trail.  A lot of it has melted beneath the trees and on the banks of the ponds but the trail itself has more than a foot of packed snow in some places; yet in others it is bare.  In 2013, the last of the snow melted in June and I think there was more snow this year.

The drive home is usually uneventful except for today.  I was only a couple miles away from the park gate when a front tire blew.  Thank goodness for roadside assistance and the fact that it was a nice day.  An hour later I was on the road again.  Other drivers don't like it when one travels at 80 kph on a highway where the speed limit is 110 kph but what can you do when you have a temporary little 'donut' tire for a spare.

I made it home safe and sound.  As I unpacked my vehicle, the chickadees were singing their cheeseburger songs in the trees.  The bluejays were squawking as they sat on the fence.  I could see the deer in the forest behind my yard so I knew it wouldn't be long before they came for a visit.

The first to arrive were the five amigos.  Their coats are getting darker.  The young ones are beginning to watch for danger and do the 'tail up' stance along with stomping the ground with their front feet.  They thought Spike the cat was a threat and started chasing the poor guy.  I've never seen him move that fast across the snow!  It was a good thing that he was close to the shed when they spied him.  He didn't have far to go to hide.

Something scared the deer off during the first visit.  They came back about 15 minutes later but there were more.  The two mule deer had shown up as well.  That made for quite the action in the backyard; fighting, head butting, foot stomping and rearing up.  I had my own reality nature show.

I don't usually have more than one light on in the evening but tonight I turned that one off as well to participate in Earth Hour.  I lit a couple of my favorite candles and did some internet shopping for new tires.

Sunshine, blue sky and fresh air filled my morning.  The Beaver Pond Trail at Elk Island was quiet and peaceful.  As I made my way around the 3.5km loop, I heard a fox yipping in the forest.  If it was waiting for a friendly reply, it didn't happen.  The birds were busy in the trees.  I heard a pileated woodpecker, a nuthatch and some bluejays.

A light breeze was blowing.  It swayed the tree trunks enough to make them creak.  Some of the aspens had dead leaves clinging to their branches that rustled in the wind.

The remaining snow is still about a foot deep on the trails.  For the most part it is packed but the edges are beginning to crystallize.  There were a lot of animal droppings on the trail; bison, moose, elk and coyote.  It is rather pointless to provide bags at the trail head for cleaning up after dogs when the wild animals use the trails for their 'deposits'.

There is a section of the trail where large spruce trees tower on either side.  Boreal chickadees called from the highest branches.  The cones at the top were providing a supply of seeds.  I usually see both boreal and black capped chickadees but today there was no sign of the little black capped ones.

The hike was great.  When I got home I sat outside on the deck for another half hour.  The sun felt so warm.  I was fighting not to fall asleep.  There were some chores that still needed doing.

The ice on the driveway is almost melted so I dragged out a bucket of hot water and washed off the spring grime from my vehicle.  I can see out the windows again!

When I was done and had everything put away, I couldn't fight the urge to have a nap any longer.  That two hour break was just what I needed.  

Two deer showed up shortly after I woke.  I noticed that the pair was made up of one white tail and one mule deer.  The white tail had no intention of sharing the grain in the tub yet the mule deer shared the sunflower seeds in the tray feeder.  The snow has melted down enough that it is making it difficult for them to reach the seeds in the hanging feeders.  There are some bare patches of ground showing along the fence.  The deer have been trimming that grass.

The rain that was in the forecast did not materialize.  I wish I would have.  I love the fresh smell that a spring rain shower brings.  I broke down and removed my 'We love snow.' sign from the front door.  After being on the trails the past couple of days, I have to admit that I am also ready for spring.

 

I sure hope that the deep freeze that just ended has been the last for this winter.  The four evenings in a row with temperatures in the -40Cs and the days of mid -20Cs with windchill made for serious cabin fever.  I learned that when I do not move a vehicle for 3 days, I must still go out to start and run it for 15-20 minutes or the cold drains the life out of a battery.  Apparently I was not the only one that did not know this.  The tow truck driver that provided the boost said he had been doing a lot of that.

I also hope the cold has frozen all the 'bugs' out there.  I've had more than my share of stuffed heads and runny noses this winter. I am looking forward to being outside again in the fresh air to counter act the daytime close encounters of office germs.  

Almost three inches of snow fell over the past couple of days in addition to the cold temperatures.  Neither seemed to bother the backyard wildlife. The deer continued to visit their grain tub and the chickadees created a frenzy at the feeders.

I learned a couple of things from watching the action.  Those cute little black-capped chickadees can get aggressive.  The pot of sunflower seeds sitting on my deck rail was guarded by some black and white bullies.  There was quite the flurry of feathers when intruders tried to sneak in for a snack.

I also learned that white tail deer have large bottom teeth.  One of the young deer happened to 'smile' as I snapped a photo.  I was surprised to see the size of the teeth.  I would think that each could use a toothpick after eating all those sunflower seeds shells!

The warming trend is welcomed.  My granddaughters are coming for a sleepover this weekend.  They are registered into some x-country ski lessons and having comfortable weather will make the time outside all the more enjoyable.

 





 

There is truth to the statement that you learn something new everyday.  I found out what muskrats do during the winter season.  In the summer, they can be seen along roadside ditches, munching on fresh grasses and reeds.  In the winter, they are busy as well.  They do not hibernate.  If you drive by a snow covered pond and see small mounds on the surface, they are probably the

handiwork of a muskrat.

I wouldn't want to find out how sharp those little teeth are.  Obviously, they are not only capable of chewing up the reed stalks, but they are also capable of chewing through the ice that forms on lake and pond surfaces.

I was on a pond surface today.  There were numerous mounds

on it.  I took a closer look and saw that the dark areas of the mounds were underwater plants that the muskrats had brought to the surface.

There were many animal tracks in the snow today; coyote, elk, bison.  They criss-crossed the open area like roadways on a map.  The coyotes had checked out all the muskrat mounds.

I took my skis out today.  I use adventure skis that are made for either groomed trails or breaking trail.  They work much better when I'm breaking trail.

I created a large loop that started along the shoreline, went south up to a beaver lodge and then back to where I began.  There is the perfect amount of snow on the pond for x-country skiing.  I went around my loop a couple of times; soaking up the sun and admiring the blue, cloudless sky.  

The temperature was above zero again today.  When I got back from skiing, I enjoyed a cup of coffee on the back deck.  The chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers were busy at the feeders.  A squirrel chattered up in a tree.  A couple of magpies were raiding the grain that was put out for the deer.

It was so beautiful that I looked for more tasks to keep me busy outside. I took down the decorations from my backyard Christmas tree.  I chopped a bin full of wood for the indoor stove.  I could hear water dripping off the garage roof and the snow on my neighbor's metal roof was sliding over the edge; landing in a big bank on the ground.

It sounds like there will be some fresh snow this evening. Another few centimeters would make for excellent skiing in the days to come.