Of This and That

See? I've been playing with my little not Fairy Houses and the little resin squirrels and rabbits.

I wanted to give them a unique look. So I have been watching some tutorials and experimenting on my own.

I'm going to eventually figure out a work flow to make these look quasi painted and sketched as if they were from a children's' book.
~~~~~~~

In the meantime the weather is fluctuating like crazy. On Thursday the wind chills were dangerously cold. I hiked with a mask and goggles to see some of the creek's frozen beauty.

It was worth the walk. The winds were cold on the ridge, but once I got into the valley felt warm.

I followed the snowmobile trail which is also called 'the ridge road' down into the valley. The shadows were pretty neat.

The creek is always fascinating and changes often with the weather.

This will all melt away today with the temperatures soaring into the high 40's.

I'm wondering if there will be a snow melt...runoff occurring this afternoon. It'll be worth the walk down there to see.

Come Tuesday winter returns and the creek will change itself again.

Friday was a nightmare day. But I'm just going to call it that and leave it be.

Stuffs....

Do you remember how little Sven was???

He and Charlie were not that different in size!

Now 10 months later....

Wow!

Sven had an ear infection...I think. Lots of ear gunk for a while. Now he walks with his head tilted and his balance isn't as good as it could be. However his vitals are just fine and he seems normal.
His mom was sickly and his father had the same issues after he was a year old.
I wonder.

I guess I don't care because Sven is such a doll who has NO idea that he is a goat!

Here my hiking cohorts are when I took out the treats. Sven loves dog biscuits. Charlie prefers the bacon flavored ones. Go figure, I rattle the plastic bag and I am both of these guys' best-est pal!

Rich and his psychiatrist have 'new' rules for me. I am not to hover and watch over Rich reminding him to take his meds. I am to let go a bit of my 'mothering'. Rich feels well enough to express that and I have decided to stop being the major worry wort. His mood is much better and his health is tenuous still. But he is holding his own.

So there it is. I signed up for a Master Naturalist Class which starts in March on Monday nights. I am going hiking with my ex neighbor and two of her friends tonight for a candle light hike at Wildcat Mountain State Park. I have a 'date' to go trail running with a CrossFit pal next Tuesday afternoon.

This year feels different for me. New and exciting things are happening quickly.

I donated an Infrared Photo to OneEarthStudios for ArtShare Dare in Ohio. ONEarth Studios is run by my [ex] sister in law and her amazing family.
I had two folks from CrossFit  actually purchase some photos of mine!

Okay, I do not plan on becoming a pro. Phew. Nope, not me.

I've been asked to volunteer instruct kids for cross country skiing too! Smack my forehead! How fun could that be?

Kristi from CrossFit asked it I'd consider doing a trail race/run with her. Um. I am going to be 64 and she is 41. But she sure can be convincing.

I've always loved 'running' or jogging. Trail running? Well, if I had a pal to do it with...mayyybeee!
I looked at the map for the Tromp and Chomp and realized that I know the trails very well.

So watch out. I have 4 months to 'train'.

Yesterday, Charlie...Mr. Short Legs, ran through the hay fields and across country with me. I don't like road running anymore and besides, it was ice.
We did 3/4 of a mile before Charlie pooped out. I was not going to try and make his 3 inch legs go any longer than that so we walked the rest of our 'run'.

A mini doxxie is not really a distance runner. But, the important part is that we had so much fun!

I have not run any races or seriously done distances since I was 30. But yesterday I didn't feel tired, I felt like a kid running for joy.
I'm going to give a huge nod to my CrossFit workouts for the past year for this feeling.
I felt so alive and so free.

I haven't felt that in such a long time.

Stay tuned. I have a good feeling about this coming year.

Donated photo:

Hiking with...just me.

Sometimes the outside just calls out to you. I thought it would be nice to get in a nice fast and hard hike to the back valley. I wanted to see what the snow melt, the rains, and the sudden freeze did to the ice 'cave' and other spots.
I have some friends coming to visit this weekend and they'd like to see some water, ice, and ice formations on their hikes.

They are not afraid of cool or cold weather.

Like me, they know how to dress for it and enjoy the fact that there are no bugs to contend with in the winter. There is no oppressive heat or humidity either.

And I don't have to worry about 'doing' my hair.

A fox hat works just fine and when the cold winds blow, I let down the fur flaps. I do get a kick out of feeling the fox tail wiggle around as I walk. Makes me feel as if I have a pony tail [which I don't...I keep my hair short right now].

The woods with north facing hillsides had a hard slippery crunchy snow cover. Any coyote or other wildlife could've heard me coming for a long ways.
The ridge top was wind blown and frozen with no snow on it. Not good for anyone with alfalfa fields. But there I was!

I was headed down into the back valley, where the sun doesn't shine most of the winter.

I was not disappointed!

Ice...ice, ice! Everywhere on little rocks where the water splashed and on bits of grasses and roots that hung over the side of the creek bank.

And to my delight, I had arrived at just the right time to catch the reflection of the sun on the hillside lighting up the back valley creek.

You can see where the snow is gone from the edges of the creek. That is how full the creek was on Monday when it was raining. I wouldn't have been able to cross it at all during that time.

I knew that I didn't have much light left so I hurried along the side of the creek and started the climb out of the valley. I was curious if the water had created an ice formation at 'the cave'.

I had a huge desire to go back down the side here and get a better shot. Common sense prevailed. I had no one with me and I had to get home. I could have gone back to the bottom of the run and walked up, but that would take too long and I'd have to back track.
So I hurried up the trail and crossed the ridge again dropping back down into the valley that our creek is on.

I hurried along the creek noting all of the beautiful little ice 'fingers' and formations along the way.

At the Sandy Wall, I stopped. The light was fading quickly in the creek bottom. But I just had to get a photo...of....

...more cool ice...

And I felt the temperature dropping. I looked at the compass thermometer that is attached to my backpack and it read 9 degrees.

Time to head home.

I took on look back before heading up the hill road....

The evening sun was lighting up the woods above me....

And as I crossed a field of ice, I felt joy and accomplishment in my afternoon hike. There was a self satisfaction that is hard to explain to those who don't venture out in cold weather or enjoy pushing themselves a bit. For me this was a treat better than a dinner at a fancy restaurant or night out.
I got to see mother nature in her afternoon winter's glory.

Some folks sure don't like winter.

But I love it.

With my handy dandy GPS running watch, I'd logged 4 1/2 miles of hiking. No mean feat across this landscape.

Man it was great!

Silent Hike

I looked down at the laundry basket that needed folding. I glanced at it again as I walked by it.  I then reached out and poked it.
It didn't poke back.
It obviously did not need my immediate attention.
Morris curled up on the couch with his freshly washed blanket that I'd taken out of the dryer. It was still warm.
He looked at me and stuck his nose under the blanket.

He didn't need my attention either.
Rich laid down for his afternoon nap.

Well now, the animals were fed and watered. However there was one critter that seemed to warrant attention.
I had two hours or so before chores. Everyone was going to be napping.

I donned a coat and grabbed a bottle of water. On the way out the porch I grabbed Dixie's red rope and my walking stick that had been made by my photo pal.

Dixie wagged her whole body. I wonder if some day she may just wag herself into pieces. She walked along side of me and waited for me to open the electric gates.
We headed out. Hike time.
The sky was blue and it was probably almost 20 degrees out.

Most of the time while hiking with a dog I only see their rear ends. Same with Dixie. I get the waving tail and her backside.

I wandered down to the creek and we followed it to the snow mobile trail. I shrugged and decided to head up the trail out of the valley and across the corn field on the ridge that divided the woods.

Soon we dipped back into the forest and the steep back valley. Dixie stopped and stood like a statue. Her tail even went still. I stopped also.
I've learned to pay attention to those with better senses than I. Dixie is one of those, her nose is extremely powerful. She can spot wildlife long before I would even be able to see it.

Then on the ridge above us came 3 deer, 4 deer, 3 deer, and then 2 more. They pranced and trotted in a long line.
Dixie didn't move when I whispered "No."

We headed further down into the valley. Both of us silent. I could hear some crows in the distance somewhere and the wind sigh and rattle the oak leaves that were still clinging to branches above us.
I headed down the steep incline towards the west end of the valley. I negotiated the hill, using saplings as hand railings. Each step was carefully placed and I made sure it wouldn't slip before putting forward the next foot.

Dixie brushed past me twice. She would go ahead and then come back. Her feet padded silently.
I looked down. There it was the Lost Valley, The Back Valley, The Hidden Valley. I could hear the stream running over rocks.
I squatted and slid down a short distance.
I was there.

The wide stream.
The stream where I can sit and watch trout flit back and forth.
It didn't take me long to spot them. Dixie trotted alongside the water and I saw their ripples.
I stood still and watched them swim up stream past me.

Nice.
I clucked to Dixie, not a loud noise but the sort of little noise you make to ask your equine to step up or pay attention.
Dixie turned around and came to me. She sat and waited for me to put my hand on her head.
That long tail of hers swished the snow.

Walking through the valley requires a bit of crisscrossing the stream. The stick was helpful in stabilizing me as I picked out rocks to make my crossings.
My hiking boots are supposed to be water proof. But perhaps soaking them 2 miles from home wouldn't be a good idea.

Dixie walked on the edge of the stream until an ice shelf broke and she plunged into a deep section. It was only hock high on her, but she avoided walking so close again.

Towards the east end of the valley Dixie found two partially eaten deer carcasses.They were buried deep in the snow and ice, too deep to tell if they were killed by coyotes or leftovers from hunting season.

I kept going until I found a good spot to cross again and head back up the steep hill.
Dixie wasn't convinced I'd picked a good place and I had to pat my leg.

Again, I just reached down and touched her on the head. She looked up at me and then scrambled up the hillside following some of the many tracks that were all over.

As we neared the field again on the ridge top, I realized that I really hadn't spoken a word since we began our hike. Normally I keep up a rambling dialogue with Dixie so that she will pay attention to me.
Obviously we'd gotten to the point in our partnership that we just were good with each other's company.

We trucked across the ridge top and followed the snowmobile trail until we could duck back into our woods and down to Awesome Creek.

I wanted to take a photo of the creek with the pretty reflections in it.
Dixie photo-bombed it.
And I think it turned out much better that way.

Dixie led the way. Just as Morris always does.
She waited for me at the electric gate.

And then our hike ended.

KVR ~ Trail Challenge ~ Little Canada ~ Part One

I hiked Little Canada, The Ice Cave Trail, and the trail to campsite "I" just below Little Canada and along the Bridge 14 Trail.
I'm going to have to divide things up.

Little Canada:

I picked Sunday because the temperatures would be in the higher 20's and the winds would be light.
I didn't want to walk on the warm days. The trails would be mushy and slippery.

A light snow had come down overnight and had coated the world with a fresh blanket of white. That is, a fresh blanket of snow over the icy surfaces below the snow!

I pulled up into the small parking area on County P and put on my Yak Tracks.

Under the car, it was glazed ice, slippery even with the Tracks on.
I headed south on Old 131 trail towards the trail head for Little Canada and the Ice Cave Trail. I'd suspected that there was a Hiking Only trail that wasn't marked on my map. I'd seen it indicated on the route for the Dam Triathlon, as part of the 3 mile running course. I thought I'd keep my eyes open for it.

I suspected that it was part of the trail that ran near the bluffs above the river that we used to ride years ago. It was deemed too dangerous for foot traffic and equestrian traffic.

It soon became evident that I was the only hiker in the area. I'd seen cars parked near Mule Trail and Camp J on 131. But mine were the only tracks.
And they were the only tracks made on these trails.

The old road bed was a bit slippery so I chose to walk alongside the road in tufts of grass. This was to be the strategy for the entire hike.
I got to Bridge 15 and wanted so badly to walk along the river as I'd done last year to see what had changed.
I reminded myself that I was doing a hike.
I had a route to take.
For this trip, I had my pocket camera and my Olympus stuffed in the back pack. I used the pocket camera mostly. I was here to hike and not spend hours taking photos.

The view from Bridge 15 always makes me stop and admire it. See the ice 'shoves' on the banks? That was from our 50 degree day.

Onward.
Past Bridge 15, I found the Trail Head for Little Canada.

The Hikers Only trail was clearly marked and I knew that it should join up with the Little Canada Trail at marker #6.

The trail was rather easy and it went alongside the river through a huge stand of pines.
It was eerily quiet and sometimes a bit dark and foreboding on the trail.

I was able to find the old equine trail we used to ride about 20 years ago.

I could see the faint path of the trail still and I wondered how in the heck I was ever brave enough to ride that.
The old timers scoffed at the closing of this trail. Looking back, I applaud it.

I moved along the "Hikers Only" trail and saw a few places where I could see through to the multi use trail.

I stopped at Marker 6 and had a snack. I'd hiked for an hour and had done some back tracking and exploring. I didn't get close to the bluff. The footing was too iffy, but I used the long lens to grab a shot looking down on Camp "I" for reference later.

I don't know how people rate trails. I've read in Wisconsin Explorer the only trail they cover it the Billings Creek trail and they say it is a 4.5. I am not exactly sure what that means.

I do know that this trail can be challenging if you are not used to this sort of terrain. In areas it is wide and easy. Then it gets steep and narrow, sort of a single track horse trail. It winds back and forth and goes down to the river before climbing again to the bluffs and winding around the areas where the dry runs form ice caves in the winter.

I found marker #3 and had a moment of confusion. The trail didn't seem correct after such a narrow track. I consulted the map and then figured out that this section was also used as a snowmobile trail.
Boring...

However I did get back down to the river and took a shot towards Camp "G".

Things got a bit more interesting when I got to marker #5.
To be ...
Continued...

Out and About ~ Me Time

This past week has been a good one filled with ups and downs. A few warm days were wonderful. Morris was able to get out and walk with me for some nice romps. Dixie watched over her elder dog friend.

Then the weather went crazy. It was 45 degrees in the morning and pouring rain when the temperatures dropped to 15 degrees by noon and we had sleet and snow. By nightfall, the temperatures had gone to 5 degrees and the winds kicked up.

I was concerned that Mica one of our mules who seems to be effected by rapid weather changes would show signs of an upset stomach. She didn't. Other than frosty backs no animal showed adverse effects. Phew...

I knew that the rapid cool down would create some interesting views along the creek. So after the chores were done, I packed a bag and headed out. I wanted to get to the 'East' Dry Run to see if the spring had created an ice flow.
However to get there quickly I had to walk across the top of the ridge and across cropland which placed me in the cold north breezes.
The temperature was -7 with a wind chill of ... well, cold.

I am so grateful to have purchased these over the glasses goggles a few years ago, combined with a face mask, hat, hood, and scarf my face rarely gets cold even in subzero temps.
I also wore insulated coveralls over layered clothes underneath.
I know, most people would cringe at these temperatures and stay inside. Most sane people, that is. But dressed properly a person can enjoy the bitter cold.

I climbed down through the woods and was surprised and pleased to see that the spring at the top of the dry run had been busy!
As I was climbing down I heard some rather loud cracks and at first couldn't figure out what it was.
I've heard it on lakes but never on an ice flow like the one I was standing on.
The ice was popping in the cold!

In contrast, December 10th:

The spring has added at least two feet of ice in waves...

The sun was shining brilliantly onto the ice so getting a good shot of the ice flow would have to wait for an overcast day.
I sat on the ice to take some shots of the little spring.
The water comes up out of the ground and is much warmer than the air around it. I knew that this spring would be 'running' as well as the spring at the bottom of the dry run.

I packed up and hiked to the next spot. The Big Spring.

Here it comes out of a rock and clay are and flows towards the creek. This is the spot in the spring where the very first flowers appear, the marsh marigolds.
No flowers today. Just bone chilling cold. When I squatted down to take some shots of the incredible frost on the mossy rocks, I could feel the cold air caressing my face and it seemed to come right through my coveralls.

The excess moisture from the past week and then the plunging temperatures had an interesting effect on sticks, logs, and moss, a hoar frost effect.  I was really quite excited to see all the delicate frost clinging everywhere.

I should have worn my boots that would have allowed me to stand in the water and take some shots. However I didn't. So I walked down to where this spring water joined up with the creek.

To compare with December 10th....

I only took two shots before my fingers started to get cold. I opened some hand warmers and put my hunting mitten/gloves back on. It was time to head up the valley towards home.

All along the creek where grasses dangled, the frost had collected. I felt like I was walking in some sort of wonderland.

I know that each time I visit the creek, now dubbed *Awesome Creek* by the neighbor kids...it changes slightly. 

The old Mule Crossing. It changes constantly. This is the spot where we used to ride to cross the creek on the west end of the valley.

And then yesterday?

Different but similar. With the subzero temps, the ice is starting to form on the edges of the creek and extend out into the faster moving water.

December 21st 2017

January 7th:

January 11th:

 And then yesterday:

I love this place.

This morning after chores I raced out with my camera and no dogs to try and *shoot* some more hoar frost before the snow and wind change the creek again.

I was not displeased.
I told my husband that I'd only be gone for about a half hour.

Oh.
I was gone longer than that.

The camera is still in its bag warming up slowly.

When I get the winter doldrums I just go out the door and make my way to the creek.
That's what I call Me Time.