January at its Best

We finally had a couple clear, cold days that were free of Great Lakes dampness, drizzle and ice. My fear of falling keeps me from venturing out in icy conditions and it is preferable to have some snow cover for good foot traction. The sidewalks are over-salted in many places and nothing bothers our dog's feet more than salt in her toes. Today we walked through the woods where there was protection from the north wind and enough sunshine to give a mood boost.

And someone set the right mood on a tree at the trailhead near the parking lot. I wouldn't doubt that this small gesture made many people smile. The long shadows across the snow are so beautiful on a sunny winter afternoon. The temperature was -8 C and dropping quickly. We had dressed appropriately but after a kilometre or so the chill started heading for our bones. ( I am still drinking hot tea as an antidote!)

These trails are wide enough for cross country skiing but I have yet to see anyone using skis here. I used my Nordic poles for balance and safety but I have no plans to take up skiing at this stage of my life

A male Hairy Woodpecker flew in front of me and proceeded to hammer away vigorously on a high dead branch. I knew from the call that it was not a Downy Woodpecker and this was confirmed by the long beak and lack of black bars on the outer tail feathers. A Hairy Woodpecker is considerably larger than the neighbourhood Downy Woodpeckers that visit our feeders and make holes in our neighbour's wood siding. I was hoping to see the Pileated Woodpeckers that nest in these woods but they were not to be found.

The almost full January Wolf Moon rose in the midafternoon. It will be completely full on January 17th but if the weather forecast is correct, it will not be visible on Monday. I do hope that the predicted snow will come as the grass is barely covered right now. These clear skies bring very cold overnight temperatures in the minus double digits celsius and a good layer of snow provides protective insulation for plant roots.

Our ten-year-old Labradoodle doesn't show her age at all on the trail as she runs and explores and looks for sticks to carry. She has stopped chasing every squirrel and is very protective of our family, her pack. She gets concerned if someone (usually me) lags behind and circles back to make sure we stay together. I cannot say enough about the emotional benefit of a good pet, even with a shedding coat and messes in the backyard. She motivates us to get moving outdoors and brings joy to the day. 

The high tomorrow is supposed to be -14 C but we will have to do a shorter version of this walk again.