Snow Words

How is the snow?

Sposhy? 

Or did you just get a skift of snow?

Sposhy is defined by being sloshy and splashy. Skift is just a tiny bit of snow, a light dusting.

I like Sposhy. We get that a lot in the spring. I like Snud too as a descriptive term. Snud is one we made up when I lived in the flat lands. Snow would drift across the flat croplands and then the winds would blow hard and the top soil would turn the snow black and brown. Snow - Mud. 

Snirt, may have been a better descriptive. Snow-Dirt.

No matter. We have had three days of snow and overcast skies. Yesterday, the snow on the grass melted by the time I did evening chores. 

The NOAA now has added Snow Squall to their terminology and warnings. A Snow Squall is an extremely intense and heavy snow fall [event] that lasts 30-60 minutes. I recall getting several alerts on that last winter. It was a term we used often as a general description, but when the weather service issued it the first time, so many people were confused.

When I lived near Kenosha and Racine, we often got Lake Effect snow. Thunder Snow was not something I experienced until I lived here in the boonies. Thunder Snow is truly spectacular if you've never experienced it. Thunder, lightening, and heavy snow all at once!

My husband often says that Snow is a 4 letter word. Yep, he is meaning it is a cuss word.

Though, I don't think I would want to live in an area where we never had snow. I like the changes of the seasons and the fun terms we have for the weather we get.

Quite a few years ago, I was out riding my mule, Badger, and I had to seek shelter from a sudden thunder, lightening, and heavy rain fall. The neighbor waved me into her large shed where she'd pulled her hay wagon in.

She informed me that we'd just had a Chicken Squall. When I looked confused she informed me that a Chicken Squall was a quick heavy downpour with sometimes lightening and thunder. It usually was enough of a rain to make Chicken mad and run for cover. Thus, the name Chicken Squall.

We are on our third day of dreary skies and snowfall though it hasn't amounted to a lot as the ground is still warm in places.

Thankfully, I got a verbal agreement for a fellow neighbor who plows to do our driveway this winter as our hill drive is rather intimidating during a heavy snow fall.

Last year's photo during a heavy snowfall:

Enjoy the weather if you can. 

One of the things I've learned is that if you have nothing else to talk about...weather is always a sure bet.

The Trail Challenge is

...finished. I completed it on Monday.

I thought I'd feel elated and ecstatic.

I figured I'd be jumping up and down when Charlie and I finished that last mile and I handed in the paperwork.

I waited for the skies to open and majestic music well up with some sort of inspiring music.

Nothing.

Even Charlie was subdued. He curled up in his car seat as I drove home. He rested his head on the edge of the crate so he could stare at me.

I reached over and turned on some music, the kind I'd expected to hear in my head when I finished.

I drove home in deep thought.

Rich was more excited than I was. He got up and smiled and asked how it went. 

I shrugged and made us lunch.

Section 41.

This was probably the most boring hike of all. It was mostly alongside a road from County F near the Billings Creek [not a trail anymore] to the trail head at Hay Valley on Hay Valley Road.

I had to park at Bridge 6 and walk back to the trail head because there was a large group of hunters that had taken up all of the parking area.

The most scenic part of this trail is the Kickapoo River at the bridge and the pond not far from it.

The pond had ice on its surface.

Alongside the road farmers had planted their winter wheat and cover crops which were brilliant green against the backdrop of the yellow-brown corn stalks and stubble. The sky was absolutely grey and lifeless.

At least there was no harsh wind to blast us as we walked this last section in wide open spaces. 

When we got back to the Subaru, I considered taking a shot of the two of us standing on the bridge in triumph. But it didn't feel like that at all. 

I woke up this morning and thought about what I'd done. I'd accomplished a goal that very few people were able to do. AND, I did it with Charlie at my side. I also involved a good friend for part of it.

It was a personal accomplishment. I'd done the 59 miles on their paperwork and many more with family and friends.

I found interesting trails that I'd never would have taken if I hadn't been 'forced' to. I got 'off' trail many times and found places I want to go back and explore more deeply.

Rich asked me yesterday, "What now?"

I didn't have an answer. I just shrugged.

But I thought about it a bit and over coffee this morning while watching the snow fall, I thought...

How many people on KVR's list of those who have done all the trail sections have ever had a repeat Back to Back?

What amazing things can we accomplish if we put our minds to it?

Indeed.

What next?

Maybe I'll just explore those secret places I found while hiking the trails. Who knows?

Her. By Charlie

She says: Want to go for a walk?

I think: IF I go out with you, we can smell squirrels, eat deer poop, and I can ignore you unless you offer tiny dog treats and call me repeatedly.

I'd be an idiot to turn all that down.

She heads out the door and towards the hill. I head the other way and sit down in the driveway. Obviously, she is going the wrong way. 
So I sit. And sit.

And then She calls me and I turn my head to stare up the drive. I will ignore her first few calls and then think a bit about it. 

My collar goes buzzzzzz... buzzzz. Oh crap. She really does want to go the wrong way. Tsk, tsk. 

I guess. 

So I stand up and trot to her with an upward glance. She calls me a Good Dog and reaches wayyy down to run her mittened hand over my head.

Off we go.

Maybe I'll find some really good smells and maybe I can chase a deer. I know She thinks I am a little tiny dog, but I don't see myself that way. I'm a hound. I am a Hunter with a capitol H. I seek voles and mice along with the big game. 

I have Her to protect me from the scary things in the forest.

Like Coyote smell and Bobcat smell.

We got down into the creek and I found a curiosity. A dead raccoon. It looked like it was sound asleep in the creek. I smelled it and just stood and stared at it. 

She told me to "Leave it be" and we went on.  Contrary to popular belief, I don't roll in dead things. I like to find something nasty, sticky, black, and that has an intoxicating odor to roll in. Dead animals are not interesting at all.

Smart pellets like deer poo are delicious. When I was a pup an old hound dog named Dixie taught me how to find them and eat them. She was an excellent mentor. She said they would make me smarter. Dixie said that Morris told her that.

Val however, is okay, but just doesn't have much of a nose to speak of. She is pretty nice to cuddle with and She is in charge of feeding me, but she has no good sense of smell. I guess I'll just have to forgive her for that.

She also has no fear. When I smell coyote tracks and shiver and quiver, She just looks around and shrugs. She also has a pistol thing. It makes Huge Loud Scary Booms. Since I am so frightened of guns, she usually leaves it in the holster thing.

I like leading. The only time I don't is when I hear gunshots or perhaps smell something quite dangerous near by. 

I headed down the creek. She stopped to admire a small pool of trout. 

Then there was something inside a log that captured her attention. 

"Look at this Charlie! Ice!" 

I was busy smelling for wild things. 

Finally She sat on a log and just didn't do anything. I think She was just listening. Maybe She was trying to smell.

Maybe She was thinking. I do that a lot. I think.

Mostly I think about Food.

Finally She stood up and called me.

I was on the other side of the little creek so I sat down and pretended my ears were plugged up. I was in a good place and She could just sit down again and Think.

She buzzed my collar and I came on the run.

I'm pretty good that way. If She buzzes me or rings the collar I do come quickly.

Otherwise?

I ignore her.

She and I walked along another deer trail and headed back towards the house. We went slow. Well, She went slow like She was looking for something.

Maybe if She had a better nose She would know what She was looking for.

But She seems to drift here and there through the forest just soaking things up. And often She sticks that camera in her face.

She is...

a bit Odd.

I have to admit, She isn't all that bad for being a two-legged creature. But She is what I've got so I guess I will make do.

At least She makes me a nice place on the couch with blankets to rest. For that? I like Her.

I am a clean freak....

Nah....don't 

believe 

that!

I brought mud and leaves into the house Friday after hiking with Olive at the KVR. Can you believe it? I didn't take out my camera once! NOT once! We just did the girl thing, we talked and hiked. -- I know my son would NOT believe this at all -- but it is true.

Besides, it was a trail I'd just recently done. Charlie, Olive, and I got our feet properly muddy and enjoyed the fresh air. She left Aiden at home with her hubby and enjoyed a walk without her little one.

So Saturday arrived and I decided that it was going to be a 'business' day. That means I move all the things around in the house in the East Wing [it's a joke guys, my house is tiny!] and scrub the floors after sweeping and vacuuming.  I moved to the West Wing and did the same thing. Sweep, vacuum, and scrub on my hands and knees.

I was done by noon. See, my house is so tiny I can scrub floors and be done in an hour or two. I don't have big shelves, I have old crates that I stack up or take down. I can move them easily. Our living room has a love seat to sit on. That is it.

Generally I do a really great cleansing of the house when I am really irritated. I wasn't irritated other than with myself. When I'd gotten Charlie a new bright yellow squeak toy, it turned brown from him mopping the floor with it and doggy saliva. 

Here it is brand new. He adores squeak toys
but generally destroys them in a few minutes.
10 seconds

Anyway, I got the floors spic and span and then moved on to moving the old trunk. It takes up space but makes a good folding table when I am not using it for toys or decorations. I made quick work of folding the laundry. IN my opinion, laundry should fold itself and put itself away. This is one job I would forever put off and just have a revolving laundry basket. Take the clean stuff out of the basket and wear it, then put it in the wash....and repeat.

While making homemade chicken soup in the crockpot, I decided to mess around with the Lego people.

How could I create a neat backdrop for photography?

Hmmm. So I decided to use a bit of AI Art and create a forest scene with mushrooms.

Then I put Acorn Dude on a book and covered it with a scrap of black felt.

It sort of worked. A few more efforts got me this:

That was fun. But I'd have to think about how to create more scenes. 

So I decided to put everything away. Ooops.

Mistake. I stopped by the little A frame stick house I'd built two years ago. I'd meant to toss it, but it is kind of cute.

What happened if a Lego person wandered off his Lego land place and ended up somewhere he shouldn't? Lego land is such a nice happy place, right?

But what lurks outside of Lego land?

A fast thinking Elf thought of this. 

Cookie? Sit BuBu, SIT!

What to do when you meet an Alien?

Why simple! Serve cookies and coffee!

The photos didn't turn out great, but it was a nice distraction from the cold weather and all the chores I'd done.

I even washed his little toy. It is yellow again.

A few thoughts

Our world needs more kindness. Is it a natural trait for humans to be mean and spiteful or hateful and jealous?

Is it a natural trait for humans to ignore the softer side and sometimes be aggressive and cruel?

What has Mother Nature taught us? I see coyotes chase down young deer or perhaps a small dog. We think they are cruel and awful. They are only doing was comes natural for them to survive.

We are supposed to be civilized folk right? We are supposed to be of a higher order. Ahhh, but perhaps we just think we are.

Where am I going with this? 

Saturdays and Wednesdays are what is called Dump Days. We can go to our town hall and deposit our bags of trash and do our recycling. 

Since our new neighbors got rid of that ugly dumpster, I've had to go back to doing the weekly run to the town hall. Actually, I am glad the dumpster is gone. IT was SO unsightly even if it was very handy.

There is a gentleman who now oversees the recycle bins. His name is Stan. I only know this because someone called out his name when I was there. 

I took my time with my bin of recyclables and then needed to purchase some Town Trash bags.

I noticed that many of the other folks that stopped by never bothered to say hello and pretty much just did what city--transplant to country folks would do. Looked down their noses at Stan. He was the Dump Dude and nothing more.

I asked Stan how he was doing. Everyone had left and it was just the two of us on a nice Wednesday morning. 

"Ahhh," he answered quietly, "I'm..." he made a face "I'm okay. You know, I'm here."

I waited because sometimes if you don't interrupt and pay attention, the other person may continue.

"You know," he added, leaning on a dumpster, "my wife passed on in April..." He sighed, then added, "She was sick all winter and when she passed my daughter insisted I come back to the township and do this work again. She knew if I didn't, I'd just be sitting at home staring at the walls. So here I am. I'm not sure..." his voice dropped off and he shrugged.

I saw sadness in him, in how he moved and how he glanced at something above and behind me. I'm sure he was thinking about his wife.

"I'm very glad that you are here, Stan," I said. "I enjoy seeing you each week."

"Well," he answered, "I guess." His hands fluttered a bit and he rearranged some plastic bottles. "Maybe that is a good thing." He stopped and then leaned up against the bin.

"You see, I'm going to be 74 pretty soon, and I am retired. I took care of my wife while she was so sick and now?" He shrugged again. 

I waited.

"Some days it is hard to get up and get going, you know? But this job on Wednesdays and Saturdays is something. Not much. But I get out because I have to."

So even if I don't need to go each week, I go see Stan so he can chat with me. 

Last week Stan saved out a couple of nice little storage crates and asked if I could use them. What a nice gesture and yes, I could use them.

I don't tell Stan that I too am a Caregiver, he doesn't need to know my story or frustrations. He all too well knows how that goes.

What he needs is a kind ear.

And it seems he looks forward to chatting for a bit each week. Some of his days are better than others. I can tell, when he jokes about me driving over with just a little bit of stuff, I smile and tell him that ... hey, I just needed to get out!

Maybe I'm just a softy...my husband says I'm soft in the head.

I think thoughtful kindness goes a long way. You never know what others are going through.

Eagle Watching

I did all of my errands Thursday morning that included picking up groceries, Charlie Food, and visiting the meat locker.

Phew. My purchases were expensive. It was a $200 day.  I noted that most gas stations were again in the process of changing their prices. This week it has floated up .10 a gallon and dropped .10 a gallon. 

It rained hard off and on all day with thunderstorms in the early morning and then again midday. The temperatures spiked with humid, muggy, and warm conditions at 68 degrees just before dark. 

I was worried about the sudden drop of temperatures to 28 overnight and how it would effect Mica our elderly grey mule who is prone to colic when there are wild temperature swings. 

However this morning, all of the equine kids are running, bucking, and farting. Fred, the eldest is pretty stoic. He is giving evil ears to anyone who bumps into him.

This is their typical winter morning routine anyway. Run, buck, and chase each other at dawn. 

All is good with the equine. The youngest mule is out chasing crows in the winter pasture. I wish I had that kind of energy at 6am!

Yesterday afternoon we had a visitor. We often get eagles flying or roosting in trees not too far way but this one was not far out the back door. The eagle carefully preened itself just before the storms hit. 

I grabbed my camera and stepped out into the yard and tried to take photos of it. It was hard to figure out what settings to use. The eagle appeared as a dark blob against a very bright grey sky.

Thankfully I have learned a few tricks over the years. I shoot RAW with my Oly -- [now called OM] -- and sometimes it can help save some of the information that the camera sees. In this case, I brightened the exposure and the shadows. 
The eagle at this point was just hanging out and preening.

Eventually the other birds noticed the eagle and a few Blue Jays decided to harass him. He was rather non-pulsed over it. I didn't catch it, but the eagle snapped at the Blue Jay when he got too close.

The Jay eventually sat in another tree and called out the eagle's presence to everyone else.

I had to move inside and shoot through the glass door when the rains came down hard.

Here, the eagle just looks ticked off at the pounding rain. When it let up, he/she just shook.

Soon the crows started to annoy the eagle. I've seen crows actually chase eagles before so I was really curious as to what would happen.

The eagle literally ignored them and they didn't actually dive bomb him at all. I figured the eagle would take off and fly away.

After hanging out for three hours, the eagle spread its wings and...

took off.

I'd waited for hours for this opportunity to 'shoot' him/her taking off. He landed in another tree close by and I was able to move to the porch and take one last shot as he left the second tree.

I was so tickled to have been able to watch this eagle from the comfort of my back door. And to observe him for hours. 

It was the highlight of the day. 

West Ridge Trail Section 17

I have to say that those short legs Charlie has are pretty amazing. The weather was warm but overcast. It drizzled on the car as we drove to KVR.

Charlie was anxious to get going and jumped out of the car when I opened the door. He waited patiently for me to get out and grab the back pack.

Then we were off. I have hiked the south end of the West Ridge Trail twice before. Once in June of last year when the foliage and undergrowth in the woods thick and green. I didn't think much of it at the time as it was part of the last 2 miles of a long hike. At that time I just wanted to get it done.

I took my old old IR camera with me and swapped out filters. The top shot was shot in IR and the bottom in regular color. The reason I put this trail last on my list is that I recalled it as being rather boring. The first 3/4 of a mile is wide and follows along a snowmobile trail. 

It does go into the forest and zigs and zags along the terrain. I did it last summer in June although it was pretty, I didn't pay much attention to it.

I was hot, Charlie was hot and we were just trying to get through the forest and to the end.
June 2nd last year....

However, November was a different story. 

This was approximately in the same spot on the trail but facing the other direction. I took this shot with a tripod that I could wrap around a sapling for holding the camera.

With all the undergrowth gone and the leaves down, I could see all the way down to the river. I spotted some places I wouldn't mind exploring this winter and early spring.

It was just amazing. You could see forever through the woods. 

Below is a shot through the woods towards Old 131 Trail. The white arrow points to the bird blind and the red arrow points to the wet lands that Charlie and I explored last year when the marsh was frozen.

The long draws lead down into the Valley of Ice. Named so because by late January there are a few rock shelters that have sheets of gorgeous ice covering their entrances.

I made it there last year on New Year's Eve and discovered iced rock shelters. I also met my new friend Jason and his dog Piper.

This draw leads down into an area where the ice caves are in the winter. The hike down in is not for the faint hearted!

As we headed up and out of the Valley of Ice we went through a section of the forest that has been logged. There were indications of a forest fire that must have happened many years ago.
The shot below was taken with the Infrared camera with a filter called IR Chrome. The leaves and foliage appear red with slight variations.

We eventually made it to Camp F which marked the spot we would turn around and head back. 

The return was easy and we walked up to the snowmobile trail which paralleled the hiking trail but was higher on the ridge and more open. It was a shorter walk back to the main trail.

We started towards the maintenance shed and encountered a young man with a shotgun and a pheasant. I admired the pheasant and he explained that he was walking back to the parking area also. He said he didn't want to intrude on my space so he'd wait for a bit. 

I laughed and said that he was not intruding and the company while walking could be pleasant. He let Charlie smell his pheasant and said he wished he had a retriever but his wife was afraid of dogs. 

We had a nice conversation while we walked. His grandfather hunted here as well as his father. His father took him when he was young. What a great legacy.

He headed towards his truck and said, "Have a nice day ma'am." 

Ma'am. Gosh. I guess I must be showing my age.

One more section done. One left to go.

What will we do to celebrate? I don't know.
Let's see what I think up!