Just another day...

So many folks are anxious for spring to arrive. I'm on the fence. I'm still enjoying the bare bones of winter.

My forest garden is asleep under the snow. I wonder what I'll find this spring? 
I know one thing, begonias loved it there and the deer didn't even eat them!
I stopped here yesterday to watch deer. 

There is my busted up old Christmas Chair. 

It is awaiting spring also I imagine.

I waited and waited for the Clerk of Courts to call me back after I'd handed them the letter from hubby's Palliative Care doctor. The original summons says that the jurors should assume that any request for delay of being a juror would be denied unless contacted specifically by the Clerk of Court or by the judge.

No return call! Why am I not surprised? 

I grumped about it to my son and he laughed and said there was always Malicious Compliance. 

I'm going to file the juror issue under -- forget it for now.

I finally put on my hiking boots and headed towards the valley. I was in search of blue ice. 

There is a deep ravine that runs from the south part of my neighbor's cropland down through tumbled boulders and trees to the bottom of the valley. There it joins the creek and runs out to what the locals call Black Bottom Creek. 

It has a spring that flows out of the boulders and rocks half way up the ravine. In wetter years the ice freezes in the bottom of the ravine and the fresh water keeps traveling over the ice making this incredible Ice River.

Here is Morris in 2015:

Here is Charlie in December 2020:

Getting there is a one mile hike. Getting in and out of the ravine can be tricky. 

I always make the hike, each year at least a few times. Sometimes I am disappointed and sometimes I am in awe.

The ice flow isn't apparent down near the valley and I had to walk up the side of the ravine towards the spring. I assume it is because of the dry year we've had.

It still is awe inspiring.

I climbed up to the spring and walked on top of the ice that was buried under the softening snow. In years past this area would be so slippery that one would need ice cleats. I remember my first venture along this ice. 

I crawled to avoid falling. 

The sides are so steep you can't walk on them.

I could hear the water flowing from under the ice, it reminded me of the slow drip drip of a leaky faucet.

After finding the spring, I considered hiking to the top of the ridge and then trying to cross through the upper ravine and the old barbed wire fence and end up on a the ridge/snowmobile/camp trail.

I headed back down into the valley and decided to walk along the creek.

I didn't take Charlie on this hike as we have to walk right past an active coyote den.

Coyotes are messy. They like to toss out the bones of their small meals and they don't use a service to pick up their trash.

Back home the 'guys' were taking a nap.

The Clerk of Courts never called back. I'll have to check and see if they issue a bench warrant for a homebound veteran.

It is irritating to me that they make the demands yet they cannot respond in matters like this.

Okay.

Off my high horse and back to the unreal world.

Today looks like a good day to practice some artful skills.