Advent Ice Walk

After Thanksgiving I was cleaning up the fall decorations outside. Corn shocks, Indian Corn and pumpkins made their way into the woods line, to become food for rodents and birds, after I removed twine and ties. After hauling away all but one large frozen pumpkin I had an idea for something fun to mark the start of spring.

I carried the heavy pumpkin down to Hank Lake, which has been iced over since early in the deer season. I carefully walked across the areas where I know the depth is less than my waist, listening carefully, and then to where the drop off to the deep section starts. There I placed the pumpkin, easily visible from the house windows.

It is the focal point for a “Plunk-ing Pumpkin” contest for family members, similar to the “car-plunks” done as fund raisers. Guess the date the pumpkin plunks and win! As you can tell, I am very easily amused.

Days later I was walking with the dogs on the north shore trail when I noticed tracks in the light snow on the lake ice. They started in the marsh at the west end, and traveled across toward our home on the eastern side. They piqued my interest, so after returning the dogs to the house, I set out alone to investigate.

The thin snow cover was old, and the kind that distorts tracks, so I couldn’t tell if it was a smallish coyote or a bigger fox. The animal was traveling east in a straight line, but then the tracks bowed toward the south shore, directly to the pumpkin. It made a lap around the pumpkin, likely curious about vegetables on the ice, then resumed It’s track line to attend to its business. It made me smile, thinking about what was going on in it’s brain.

Canid thought bubble: “What is she doing out here, and why did she place this big frozen vegetable on the ice? “She certainly is a strange human! “Maybe this is her food cache?”

Today, I went to the marsh on the west end and bushwhacked through, taking note of hundreds of rodent tracks among the sheltering marsh grasses. There were numerous canid tracks, no doubt drawn by the rodents. I wish I could “see” the presence of the night-hunting owls who live in our woods; doubtless this area is a pantry for them. There were also many deer tracks, crossing on the north/south game trail that passes through this area.

The snow came after deer season, so these are survivors of the main rifle season. It is good to see them here, and soon on the trail cameras as well as they return to normal travel.

Alice Creek, the lake discharge, is still open and flowing, so it is a welcome source of waterfor birds and animals. I follow the creek through its floodplain, a thicket of obstacles until itenters a culvert under our gravel road. There are tracks on the thin, intermittent ice shelveson the creek sides, an easier passage for featherweight creatures denied to heavy travelerslike me.

Back to the road, I crossed our horse pasture and headed to the house down the far fenceline, passing by two apple trees. One of them retains many apples, high in the canopy.There were four blue jays busy working them, maybe parents with the young of the year.Normally they are very flighty, but these three let me approach very closely before theytook off; without even an alarm call, which surprised me. The fourth just cocked its headand inspected me carefully, surmised correctly that I was no threat, and went back to eating. Hopefully it is more skittish of predators, or it will not live to see the spring.

The winter woods are not barren and empty. You must look harder, and the tell-tale snow helps, but life goes on there, waiting to mystify and entertain. It is the season of Advent, a time to be quiet, watch and listen. Hard to do in the bustle of parties, shopping and baking.

But it is easy for me to do so in the woods before Christmas.

I welcome commentary, alternative viewpoints or ideas at this e-mail address:

JanieTMartin@gmail.com