It’s still winter – the time of the winter when we get days, or sometimes almost a week, of warm temperatures.  On those days the snow melts away, but then it gets cold again and snows again, so it’s not spring yet.

The snow melts first on hilltops and south facing hillsides, and last in the narrow parts of the valleys and north facing slopes.

 

Knife Edge Point

 

Looking south from Hidden Oaks Point

 

It’s a treat to be able to walk up to the tops of the hills – we can’t do that when the snow is deep.

 

The snow stayed on Buffalo Ridge longer than we expected.

 

As the snow melts it exposes tunnels that were made by small mammals traveling under the snow.

 

A shed antler

 

This is one of several kinds of galls found on goldenrod.  They’re sometimes called Apple Galls or Ball Galls because of their shape.   They’re easy to spot in winter.  The insect that triggers the plant to make this gall is a small fly.  I’ve never seen the fly, so I’ve collected several of the galls and I’m hoping a fly will emerge from one of them this spring.

 

Chickadees and Downy Woodpeckers often poke through the galls to get at the tasty larvae inside.

 

I planted the last of my seeds – throwing them out in places where we cleared brush last fall.  3 Finger Valley looks much different with snow.

 

Our regular winter walk is the driveway – along Center Valley and through the wetland.

 

Sunrise through the pines

 

Frost on plants along the creek

 

Our aufeis formed again this winter, along the stream in the Glen.  The surface ice melts on warm days, but the frozen part still spreads out much wider than the actual stream bed.

 

Frost and galls on a willow

 

A willowy part of the wetland

 

Willow Bend has lost many of its huge old willows to beavers.  Now the beavers have started work on the Silver Maple in the foreground.

 

Sunrise

Bluebirds and Robins have returned, and yesterday it felt like spring.  But today it’s cold and more snow is on its way.