This time of year...

Some interesting shapes and a little bit of green are revealed as the snow melts in the woods.





But the truth is I hate this time of the year, the time when the snow is melting and I become especially aware of the imperfections in the landscape. It is hard to ignore all the stuff collected after 25 years of living in one spot and the stuff that we don't use but are afraid to part with.




This is an eyesore to me--just junk cars--but planned projects and old friends to Bill. Here's hoping this pair of cars finds a better home before it's too late. By the time we finally parted with the last one, it actually broke in half on the rollback.

A February thaw...

One reason I like the winter is that it is so quiet in the woods... on the first day of what appears to be a February thaw, the ice on the pond is just starting to melt and I hear a noisy flock of Canada Goose coming before the "V" passes so close overhead that I can feel the wings beating the air.



In the woods I don't see the deer and rabbits on my walk but their footprints, enlarged by the melting snow, give evidence that they have been walking on the path and scratching around for food.










A pileated woodpecker has been busy looking for dinner in a tree and the crowsfoot is peeking through the snow.

Waking up....

I open my eyes quickly to get rid of the visions of computer code and tabulated data still in my head. It’s pretty dark and by some combination of poor eyesight and poor photography I am not sure what I am seeing…



… strange shadows and then out-of-focus knots looking down at me from a beam. The windows are covered by quilts on cold nights so I have no idea what the weird whining noise is outside.

I open the window quilts and see the quaking pines and larches waving in the wind and I hear the loud screeching and scraping from above.

Winter Nights

It's dark by the time I get home from work. It's time to bring the wood in--time to build a fire. I like sitting by the fireplace at night and staring into the flames. I almost forget all the work that went into it. It's easy to forget about the chainsaws, wood-splitting and stacking.

Until yesterday, I never touched a chainsaw. I prefer hand tools to power tools-- I'd rather use a shovel and fork than a rototiller. I was recently reminded that girls can use chainsaws so I now have my own "Barbie" chainsaw. I'm still a little afraid to use it.

...and I wonder if it's up to the task

Rhododendron blossoms in winter

The pink blossoms turn to white at 20 degrees.

Venturing outside

There is no sign of life from the deck on a cold January morning.

I used to like winter

Winter used to be a time to play in the snow--to ski, sled, skate or make snowmen. I have become a bear--hibernating at home except to go to the office. I will make an effort to explore, even enjoy, the world outside for the next six weeks.