I have only this...

I got out yesterday. It was still below that zero point when I took a walk up through the woods to go get yesterday's mail. Charlie did go with me as did Bear.

It has been a while since Bear and I went on adventures together. Silly me. When there is no one to hike with, I can always take Bear.

He never complains...

Even if he gets stuck trying to get over a log. 

I had to give him a hand of course and we went on our Merry Way.

In the afternoon we decided to go for a hike along the creek to see what was happening since the Big Chill from last week.

We didn't find many tracks other than a few deer tracks and quite a few rabbit tracks.

I left Charlie home as we were going deep into the forest and this is the beginning of coyote mating season. Mostly the coyotes will leave us alone or run off. But over 30 years of hiking these woods, I did have two instances where the 'yotes followed me and a dog during the day time.

Bear and I stopped for an updated photo of one of my favorite spots on the creek. The trees that lay across this section are now on the creek bottom. The creek no longer flows where I am squatted. It has moved to my left.

Much of the creek had ice on it and in some of the places where there are springs, it was open.

This section had slow moving water from a spring inching its way across the ice. It flows up and over the ice and then freezes.

Layers of ice build over each other.

This 20 second video shows how the water creeps over the ice.... 
I sat in the snow next to the creek and was amazed by how quietly the water just seeped onto the ice.

Overnight, it will have created a new layer of ice and will rearrange the pattern of the snow on the creek.

The ice wall got a face uplift and the colors of the ice seem to glow yellow in all that bright snow!

I spotted this little beauty in among other winter flora. I think it is the tiny hulls of the Fleabane flower.

The next few days will be beautiful with temps still below freezing, but above frigid. I hope to get out and enjoy them....

I have only this left to say....

I do not wish to be ruled by fear. 
I wish for compassion and freedom from fear.
Is that too much to ask for?

Ice Bubbles?... At The Spot

Ice Bubbles and a little history of photos for The Spot.

 Amazing ice bubbles?

I've seen these before but never tried to photograph them to show their depth and bizarre-ness.

This is at our creek along 'the wall' where the tiny trout hang out. I've always seen itty bitty bubbles come up from the bottom of this spot.

Apparently they froze and spread out as they got to the surface of the water [it is deep and very still in this spot]. Then the next bubbles froze in layers? 

The ice was very thin and clear. If our weather stays below freezing in the valley, this spot would eventually freeze over and I wouldn't get to see the bubble ice!

We didn't find any Blue Birds or Robins this time around, however the Nuthatches, Juncos, and Chickadees were all busy in the area.

This is the same spot with Charlie and I a few years ago.

The same spot in the spring of 2018 during a snow melt...

...and since I've been photographing this 'spot' as it changes for 20 years, here is a photo of me on my mule Badger who was 15 hands at this spot in 2005 when this 'spot' was dry and the creek ran trickled just in back of my mule.

Since then different flash floods have slightly changed the depth of the creek and the route. Trees have fallen across areas and water has swirled out deep pools where the ice bubbles formed.

The area has deepened which would be obvious in comparing the photo with me on Badger to the one with me holding Charlie.

It is my Spot.

I hike there nearly daily.

Years ago with Morris and I.

Since these shots were taken, the trees that are above me have finally given in to gravity and nearly lay on the ground now.

I think it is time to take an update photo of me in the same spot if I can get around all the fallen trees.