Brrrrrrrr.....

It's just too cold (about 10 degrees) to go outside - any exposed skin starts to ache in a matter of seconds - so here I am bundled up inside with the heat pump blasting away on emergency heat and a roaring fire going in the fireplace.

I am in awe of all those feathered and furry creatures out there. How do they endure such bitter cold? How can they possibly find enough to eat when everything is under 6 inches of snow and ice? How can the same bodies, that tolerate days on end of temps nearing zero in the winter months, also endure the unbearable heat and humidity of summer? Nature has bestowed upon her creatures the most efficient and elegant biological systems and processes, while we humans with our fancy technology and opposable thumbs truly pale by comparison.

I'm ashamed of my own weak and vulnerable species, but what can I do? Alas, I think I'll just curl up under a big wool blanket, grab a cup of Rooibos, and finish reading one of the three books I've got going.

A winter wonderland

We've had quite a bit of snow over the past couple of weeks, with temps never reaching above the freezing mark. We have 3 inches of snow sitting on top of an inch of ice sitting on top of another three inches of snow. What that means to us is that we can no longer drive the car up to the house and into the garage. So our car remains parked at the bottom of our hill or at the end of our driveway near the road, and we get to make the 1/3 mile trek whenever we must get to work or grocery store or civilization.

The pond is frozen over except for a 20 foot diameter opening in the middle where the aerator runs. Yesterday, I spied a couple of deer walking gingerly out onto the ice and toward the hole, hoping to get a drink. I was concerned that one or both of them would punch through the thinner ice that rings the opening so I ran out there, clapping my hands, to scare them away. I've considered turning the aerator off and allowing the pond to freeze over completely. Doing so would turn it into a terrific skating rink, but it would also prevent any sunlight from entering the pond. The catfish, bluegills and bass living in the pond need oxygen throughout the year, and without the aerator running nor sunlight entering (to create photosynthesis), my poor fish might drown. So for now, I'm going to let the aerator run and keep an eye out for thirsty deer.

The trails are pristine, marred only by hoof and paw prints of all manner. I'm totally amazed by how much traffic there is out there! I've been able to identify deer, rabbit, mouse, squirrel, turkey, fox, raccoon, dove, and feral cat tracks. In fact, when I last saw our feral cat's tracks I noticed a little bit of blood coming from his (her?) left front toe. I haven't seen him or his tracks over the past few days, so hopefully he's safely tucked away somewhere nursing his paw back to health.