Journal for December 20, 2011

Our prairie landscape has been alternating between snow, no snow; rain, sunshine; cold, warm.  Nice variety, but not very winter-like. 

December 1st we had just a dusting of snow….

 

with enough on the driveway to see tracks.  These are crow tracks – much more delicate looking than the birds themselves.

 

We saw several caterpillars on the snow.   I think this is a Yellow Bear – the larva of the Virginian Tiger Moth (Spilosoma virginica)

 

Then we had a beautiful winter storm on December 4th,  with about 7 inches of heavy, wet snow.  There was almost no wind, so the snow stayed on the trees for several days.

 

The trees were bowed down so low that we had to stoop under the branches to walk on the driveway.

 

The trail through the willows

 

 

The snow melted – gradually – and I thought I would try doing some brush clearing.  This was Indian Grass Prairie – it turned out to be impossible to even climb the hill, let alone cut any brush.

 

Rain and more melting….December 14th

 

December 18th – almost no snow left at all