Monday, January 31, 2022

I love Winter

 




Someone told me I was lying to myself when I said I loved winter the most. Chuckle Chuckle.

I love every season of course. Winter always provides me with so much to see. 

Granted. In the spring and fall, I can walk the woods and not be so bothered by insects. Summer brings its own delights which include much longer days and some un-delights of heat and humidity.

I love flowers which only bloom in my garden from Spring to Fall. But Winter provides me with time on my hands to explore the shapes of trees. Time to watch ice falls develop on a rock and moss sandstone wall.

I am afforded the ability to admire the frost that develops on the rocks in a large spring.


I can hike through the valley and bask in warm sunshine in one spot and be in chilled in the shadows and cold breezes in another.

I can be amazed over and over by an old oak tree's shape against the snow or how it casts shadows over the stream.

I can see how the natural order of things progress. I can find deer beds, coyote dens, 'possum trails, and raccoon tracks. I see how nature cleans up after a death. Who strips those bones clean like that? Not coyotes. But the Titmouse, the Bluejay, and Woodpeckers! 



Death in the valley provides a little something for everyone except the unfortunate whitetail perhaps.

The mice will find important minerals in this buck's antlers that will help them. They find calcium, phosphorous, and minerals that may be lacking in their diet in the antlers of some deer and their bones.


This huge spring provides warm water for scuds and caddisfly larvae to survive cold spells.
The spring comes out of the hillside.


It joins the creek as it flows down hill.
View looking towards the south.



No matter how cold it gets, I've never seen this spring freeze over. The water is about 45 F all year. During a very deep freeze, all the moss covered rocks get covered in a beautiful frost.

The first signs of spring arrive here on near this spring. Skunk Cabbage!

Winter provides me with more challenges to find interesting photographs. There is the snow to deal with which throws off the camera meter. There is the cold to deal with. The cold will drain batteries swiftly. Moving cameras from cold to warm can damage them if precautions aren't taken. 
Dressing appropriately can also be an issue. After years of trial and error, I am coming to a happy medium.

This hike last week involved a small backpack with a thermos of hot chocolate, hand warmer packets, fresh mittens in case mine got wet, my pistol, and camera batteries in my inner pockets. 

The thermometer hanging off my camera strap read -9 F at the spring.

My feet got cold while I explored the Big Spring. But I knew that a hard and fast walk with my snowshoes on would warm my feet up.


Eventually I made it to our ridge trail and headed up out of the valley.

That is my shadow and if you look closely, you might even see the shadow of a Teddy Bear face in my backpack.
Silly, I know, but Bear doesn't mind the cold.



By the time I got home, I was damp with sweat. 

And that
is 
some of the
reasons
I like  love winter.




6 comments:

  1. You observe a lot of things most people might miss. You caught shots of some great things. I like seeing the hot springs.

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  2. I used to love winter when I hunted... and Icefished. And when I was in Alaska... ski and snowshoe. But now, I would rather hunt mushrooms berries rather than kill anything. ( don't get me wrong, I still would love to eat rabbit or bluegill.) But Summer has replaced winter for outdoor activities. ( I also get to chalk in the summer) Summer was not really my first pick, and I don't like the heat much. But Mushrooms call and Summer is a pretty good time for them.

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  3. All the seasons have their blessings and their curses. Summer it's the oppressive heat and the bugs, fall and spring it's the mud and sudden bouts of storms, and winter it's the ice. But there is beauty no matter what season if we care to find it, and you have found plenty!
    One of the things I love about winter is being able to see the tracks of all the creatures that we normally aren't aware of. The beauty of the snowflakes and ice crystals, the curl of the snow before it slides off the roof that makes the icicles point at the window, the visible breath of the horses exhale as they stand basking in the sun... so many things! But I have to say I am more excited to see the first shoots of the plants pushing their way up through the sun warmed earth and the shedding hair on the horses that heralds the beginning of spring!

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    Replies
    1. I agree! The first plants I generally see is the skunk cabbage which creates its own heat to push through snow.
      I love finding tracks and seeing who was walking through the woods!
      When spring comes I will have as much enthusiasm as everyone else!

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  4. Ewww, on the carcass!! Not enlarging those photos lol. I had no idea smaller birds were scavengers.

    Our trail cams were boring this past month. The mega amount of visible tracks tell a different story.

    How nice for all the local critters to have a spring, in all seasons!

    Glad you are enjoying this Winter to the fullest! Weather wise it's been pretty boring so far, at least in my neck of the woods. I am still waiting for a dumper of snow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was very surprised at what happens in the forest in the winter. It makes sense that the birds that are attracted to suet would be attracted to bones in the winter.

      I'm hoping for some fresh snow. Today it is crunchy and slickery.
      Time to sit and watch birds on the porch.

      Delete

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