Mud Season is looming

"Snow-mageddon" is what the headlines read.  Okay, it's just not that bad.  While it has been a little challenging getting in and out of the house, and then in and out of the driveway, we've had no real problems at all.   In fact, the snow and freezing temps actually have their pros.  I got to walk out onto the pond today to put some fresh wood shavings into the wood duck house.  God forbid my beauties show up this year to find their warm, fluffy bed missing.

For the first year ever, we're going to tap one of our sugar maple trees.  The sap will start running as soon the temperatures start to get above freezing during the day, while still dipping down below freezing overnight.  The weather-chick says we should (finally) get above 30 degrees sometime next week, so the tap will go in this weekend.  Since we will only be tapping one tree (as an experiment, really), we won't have enough sap to make anything significant from it (it takes about 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup).  So our plan is to add our sap to that of a friend's to produce a limited edition "blend" this year.

When all this snow melts, it's going to become one muddy mess around here.  I refer to that time of year as Mud Season, and it is the bridge between our beautiful snows and the spirit-renewing sights and sounds of Spring.  Mud Season arrives just before the trees start sprouting their green fuzz, and just as my skin color reaches its most lifeless shade of gray due to lack of sunlight.  Alas, Mud Season is our ugliest time of year and try as I may to deny its inevitability, deep down I know it will come.

So this weather-chick says it is white and brisk and overcast and stark and utterly gorgeous out there!

Who's frisky?

 First, I just have to show you how bee-you-tee-full it is outside right now!  Having snowed for about 24 hours straight and leaving behind over 14 inches of the heavy wet stuff, we're just now re-emerging from the house to find the sun shining and the birds totally groovin' on the feeders.  It's the weekend, so we've got nowhere to be and we still have power and we've got plenty of firewood, so it's all good.

We have moved the car out of the garage and parked it down by the main road so that we can get to work come Monday.  This plan entails us shuttling ourselves (in "dress" clothes) and briefcases between the house and car with our Gator until the snow melts enough for us to drive the 4-wheel drive Escape all the way back up to the house.  This would be quite a sight if there were anyone within miles to glimpse it.  We refer to these as our "Green Acres" moments.

Next.  You know how I love tracking, especially in the snow.  A few days ago (before this latest blizzard) while hiking the trails, I came across several signs of wild turkeys - dozens of very large (as big as my hand) 3-toed footprints (plus a 4th toe in the back), and several big piles of leaf litter lying on top of the snow where they had scratched looking for insects and such.  Additionally, I also noted these really interesting tracks in several places.  These are the tracks of (at least) one male turkey (called a "gobbler").  The long marks on either side of the footprints show that his wings were dragging on the ground while showing off his spectacular plumage in hopes of attracting a mate. 

And that got me to thinking...temps are in the teens, there's snow everywhere, and food is seemingly non-existent, so how weird is it that anyone is feeling romantic right now?  And since turkey mating season isn't supposed to begin until late February or early March, maybe these guys were just practicing, or showing off for each other.