Winter Has Arrived

The last few days have seen some snow and cold temperatures.  Finally, I can experience the beauty of the winter.

Saturday -

I went snow-shoeing yesterday.  The temperature was at 16 degF, and expected to continuing to drop as the day progressed.  I went to the Robert Frost trails, and then headed up the Water Tower Trails.

There were a few snow showers up on the higher peaks.

The Middlebury is still flowing.  In time, it will ice up.

I started the climb up the Northstar Trail.  I kept my head down as  slogged along.  I told myself to stop and listen.  I could hear my breathing, feel my heart beat.  The low rumble of automobiles climbing the Green Mountains off in the distance was the only other sound I heard.  I looked up, making sure I took in all the sights.

The trails went on.  In time I had reached the top of the trail and had an easy time of descending.  Other had went on before me . . .

I stopped at Widow's Clearing.  I climbed the small rise there and just took in the mountains.

I turned around and headed back.  I came to the top of the Water Trails.

I descended down the Trepidation Trail (very very steep), and then cut over on Afternoon Delight.  No one had been there in the last few days.  The snow was pristine.  The sun would peak through the clouds, and the shadows of the trees on the terrain were interesting.

I even took a self portrait!

I got back down to the Middlebury.  I rested for a while, just listening to the water.

Back on the Robert Frost trails, I came across a copy of his poem "The Road Not Taken".  I have had a lot of things to think about the last month, and I found the idea that I could be following a new path comforting!

I decided to take a different road back home!

Sunday -

I decided to visit Kingsland Bay.  I temperature was 1 degF!  The rivers are iced up, and the bays are starting to get iced in.  I could see ice fog rolling across the mouth of the bay.

I followed she shoreline.  I came across flocks of Robins!  Lately, I was wondering if they go south.

There were platter-sized chunks of ice by the shore.  They looked like frozen lily pads.

I followed along the shoreline.  I walked the trail by the cliffs.  The water looked cold, and the trail was slippery.

I came across a stand of trees, shattered by some fierce wind this past year.

I came around a bend in the shoreline.  I could see the ice fog moving across the bay towards me.

Ice was coating the rocks.

It was quiet by the water.  The only signs of bird-life were some gull tracks by the shore.

The cold wind and ice fog were bitter.  I would take my gloves off to shoot some photos, and quickly loose feelings in m fingers.  My eyes were tearing up.

The ice fog left delicate crystals on the trees . . .

. . . and the rocks.

After shooting some more photos, and freezing to death, I decided to head back.

I followed a trail through the woods.  I had some respite from the winds.

I could here birds about.  I stopped and took my hood down.  Birds were all around me.

Chicadees . . .

. . . Cardinals . . .

. . .  and Robins!

I followed the trail back to the car.  I looked out, and saw a pair or Mergansers in the water.  I don't know how they do it!

I passed by the South Slang.  It is iced over.  It will be months before I can paddle there again.

Time to go home and thaw out!

A Wintertime River Walk

We've had a warm winter so far, but the Otter is starting to ice up.  The river continues to run by the falls...

... but is starting to close in downstream.

I like walking by the water this time of year.  There were a few snowflakes in the air.  The birds were silent, and the river was quiet.

I stopped to look at some of the old brick buildings by the basin.  A few of the buildings used to be old warehouses.  They were converted to homes years ago.

I came across an old print that showed a number of buildings along the river by the basin back over 100 years ago when the steamships came up the Otter.  The brick buildings were in the print, but a number of other warehouses were there.  They are long-gone, but a few of their foundations still exist.

It amazes me how much things have changed over time...

Start of Another Year

Got up.

Made a pot of coffee.

Went to the auction house.

Did some shopping.

Decided to clean out the barn...
  -  Yes, it is nearly 50 degF outside.
  -  Opened the doors to the hay mow.

  -  Opened the doors by the stalls.

  -  Nope, the owl doesn't keep the bats away~

  -  Yep, I had to sweep up a lot of bat poop!  (I cheat - I use a leaf blower!)

The rain is coming in.  It will cool off over the next few days. A little snow is predicted.

Happy New Year!

Winter Morning

We had a light dusting of snow last night.  It was barely enough to cover things about our property.

It seems we had a visitor last night.  Its prints were around the house and the barn!

Yep, a domestic cat.  We see one prowling around on occasion (the Wife thinks we should get a barn cat to keep the varmints away).  I wonder when we will get some real snow?

Have a great day!

Playing Around

I found a new application for the iPhone / iPod Touch which allows one to easily stitch together photos into a panoramic photo.  The application is called Photosynth.

I put together a few photos of our property (from the street, and back behind the barn by the creek.

There is some fish-eye effect when shooting close, but the application worked fine.

Enjoy.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!  Hope you are all having a safe and wonderful day!

A Christmas Tale...

T’was the night before Christmas.

Pay heed to my yarn

About the strange happenings

Around my old Barn.

I went to the Barn

To check on things there

Hoping that all

Was tidy and square.

The rush of the water

In the rain-swollen creek.

Was all I could hear -

But then there’s a "squeak".

I went to the hay mow

To find it was still

Not a varmint about

In the cold winter chill.

The stables were empty

The barn was all dark

Not a chirp or a peep

Or a growl or a bark.

When rounding a corner

I was taken aback!

Someone had sharpened

My saws and my Axe!

To the workshop I went

And climbing the stair

To find someone had

Been cleaning in there!

And looking about 

I startled myself

Off in the corner

I saw a Barn Elf!

He scurried about

And kept cleaning the place

I couldn’t keep up

With his very quick pace.

He suddenly stopped

Once he was all done

He was smiling a lot

(I guess he had fun!)

He spun ‘round three times

And then pulled his beard

In the blink of an eye

He just disappeared!

I heard a faint noise

As I turned out the light.

"Peace be to all ,

Be safe, and Good Night!"

Ice and Snow

It was 22 degF this morning when I decided to go kayaking! (The wife thinks I am crazy, but I just had to see what Nature has has brought forth!).  I was going to put in at the South Slang,  but when I got there it was covered in ice!

The old beaver lodges were silent . . .

. . . as were the marshes.

I decided to put in at Kingsland Bay.  The winds were from the south at just 2 or 3 knots.  Lake Champlain was calm.

There are not many waterfowl about.  Some seagulls . . .

. . . and cormorants.

I always enjoy following the cliffs about the lake.

Though the leaves are long past, the algae on the rocks were an unexpected bit of green against the gray and brown rocks.

I like paddling near the shoreline, but one has to be careful of the rocks.  Some are barely submerged, and running into them can lead to a capsize (not a good thing in the winter!).

I paddled out onto the broad lake and headed east to the mouth of the South Slang,

The ice was out all the way to the lake.  There was no safe way to paddle into the slang (yes, the boat could break through most of the ice, but it is hard to maneuver through the broken pans of ice).

The marshes are getting iced-in.

I headed back to Kingsland Bay.  Off in the distance I could see Whiteface Mountain in the Adirondacks.

There was a wonderful interplay of waves and light in the shallow bays.  The water is now very clear, and I can see the ripples in the sand below.  The slight wind-waves created patterns on the sand, creating a pattern all along the lake bottom as far as I could see!

I paddled back to my car.  My feet were getting cold. By the time I took my kayak out of the water, by hands were felt like they were encased in pins and needles (yes, I had to get my hands wet when I took my kayak out of the cold water)!

After a glass of warm cider, I decided to go for a short bike ride.  I went up over the hill on Green Street.  I passed the frozen marshes . . .

. . . and cycles along the quiet roads.

There is still a slight covering of snow in the woods.  Soon I will be snow shoeing!

I had to stop by some open farm field and take in the views to the east of the Green Mountains.  Spectactular!

I hope you don't let the cold stop you from enjoying natures glory!

Christmas Scenes...

We have been about getting our Christmas errands completed.  We have been up to Church Street in Burlington for some shopping . . .

. . . as well to the Christmas Loft.  We like visiting the 'village' at the Christmas Loft.  While there we came across a scary elf!  Enough to give you nightmares!

I'll try to be a good boy - I don't want this guy to visit!