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January brought in bitter cold weather. The river runs very slow in the winter. One morning we awoke to a smooth, frozen surface.
With the cold, more snow accumulated, though we never had more than a foot it seems. We have a number of stray cats we see about. They seem to find a way to cope.
By mid-January, we were in the deep of winter. It will be some time before we can relax on the dock (though I catch myself walking out to the dock and taking in the quiet). Still. the weather has been brutally cold.
A another snow, and new crystals of ice sparkle in the low morning sun.
All is not dead or silent. As soon as the snows eases and the sun appears, the birds are about.
The days lengthen and the sky is that much brighter.
We have a few warm days, and the snow and ice melt. The geese return to the river.
I am amazed how quickly a few warm days change the world. We look forward to the cardinals. They are a welcome splash of color.
The birds start to appear more numerous. There is a hint of change in the air. The brutal cold has left.
I decide to get in a little paddle. The waterfowl is coming back. I see some hooded mergansers off in the distance.
The geese are more active - flying from lake to lake.
The turtle march is still iced-in. It is shallow and freezes easy. But it will be the first to warm ans attract the early season bass and pickerel.
I never know what I find, even in late February. I finally got a good shot of an American mink.
I think the back of winter is broken . . .
