Sunday Stroll: Making Tracks

Stepping outdoors around 9:30 a.m., I heard--then saw--a pileated woodpecker in our biggest tree. No, he wasn't being attacked by red pointy things, that's my addition. The light was behind him and he looked like a bump in the tree trunk. At intervals throughout my stroll I heard his hyena-like call.



Instead of scanning the skies this morning, I kept my eyes on the ground, identifying tracks in the snow.

The Chap



Me (wearing my woollen clogs)



Ruth



Jewel



Blue jay (when I showed these to the Chap, he said, "A chicken!")



Weasel (probably, because of the nearby tunnelling in the snow bank)



Red squirrel (probably, because smaller than the grey squirrel tracks)



white-footed mouse plus
(probably) chipmunk (because at least one recently emerged from underground)


Here's a view I seldom show, our "front yard". I crossed the road to take this. Between the trees and the hillside opposite--all that whiteness--is our little lake.



Technically, the site pictured above belongs to our seasonal neighbour across the way. We did consider purchasing this parcel from its previous owner. But as we've already got water frontage on the Big Lake (with the attendant tax consequence) and because this parcel is wetland and cannot be developed, and since the full acreage was necessary for the acquisition of our neighbour's septic permit, we didn't/couldn't/wouldn't make an offer. Decided we'd "make do" with our twenty-one acres of woods, hillside stream, mountain, and open yard.

Our secluded woodland surroundings are about to get even whiter. Heavy flakes are falling. Over the next twelve hours a storm is expected to dump 6 or 10 or 12 inches of fresh snow, depending which forecaster's predictions are accurate!

Thanks for stopping by. To stroll along with other strollers, head over here!

PS After posting, I happened to be gazing from an upstairs window down on the snowscape behind the Lodge--deer tracks all over! But the snow is way too deep for photographing them close up like the other tracks. So you'll just have to take my word for it!