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Sunday, January 31, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
6 degrees, windy, partly cloudy, flurries
An hour ago a perfect snowflake stuck to the
window by my desk, only one
out of many that are swirling around in the wind. It is
still there, six-pointed and
frosty white. I guess that is proof that the fancy
windows we installed many years
ago really do keep the heat indoors where it belongs. The
rising sun’s slanted rays
really picked out every detail of this tiny flake, but
now that the light is flat I have to
look hard to find it. I examined windows in the other
rooms, and the north-facing
panes are loaded with flakes, and you know what? They all
looked kind of alike !
So I grabbed my magnifying glass and examined them closer.
While all of them have
slender rays with well-defined points, under
magnification I could see that each display-
ed a unique array of crystals invisible to the naked eye.
The larger truth of this is too ob-
vious for me to point out; let’s just say we all
need to be reminded of it from time to time.
I never got outdoors to play yesterday, it was just too
darned cold and windy. I worked
in the barn for fifteen minutes or so, splitting some big
chunks of wood and filling buckets
with kindling for future use, and never got warm. I
reckoned that it would be foolish to
head off into the woods alone on such a raw day, and
busied myself indoors where it
was toasty-warm. This morning I will bake bread for the
freezer, and perhaps later
will head out to ski if the wind isn’t too fierce.
We have really been enjoying
the full moon the past few nights. I hope you were able
to see it too,
as tonight may be too snowy to do any moongazing.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Saturday, January 30, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
-6 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
Out temperature never rose above zero yesterday, and
dropped down to minus
twelve last night. This is some cold weather, even for
the North Country. The full
moon rose into a very clear sky just before sunset, and
we could see red-hued Mars
glowing at its side as the sky darkened. Later, I stepped
out briefly with the dog and it
was very quiet, no coyotes or owls, and for a little
while, no snowmobiles. I guess they
all must have been in Boonville at the Snow Festival
parade. I never did get out on skis
yesterday, as the wind picked up and it was all I could
do to cross the yard to the barn
to fetch kindling. I didn’t see any signs of
wildlife from our window yesterday at all; the
wild things must have been tucked in just as snug as I
was. Hopefully the breeze will
take a break today; the sun will make it feel much warmer
than it actually is,
and the snow looks very inviting, untracked and sparkling.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, January 29, 2010, 7:45 a.m.
-5 degrees, breezy, sunny
The sun came up over a beautiful field of fresh
clean snow, and turned the whole
hillside pink for a little while. The wind has been
fierce, and there is no way to measure
how much snow we have received from the latest storm,
although it fell so fast yesterday
I cancelled all afternoon work and stayed snug at home.
The Snow Ridge ski report says
that fourteen inches fell during the past three days, and
since that is only one mile away from
here I will agree with that. They cancelled night skiing
yesterday due to the windchill factor,
and I wouldn’t be surprised if they closed early
today as well; if you are planning on taking
advantage of their Friday night special, it would be good
to call or check the website first.
If I go out later to cross-country ski, I won’t
travel too far from home and will take my
phone with me; to be injured on such a raw day could be
disastrous. Gliding is excellent
when the snow is fresh and cold, best done on flat-bottomed
skis that require a coat or two
of special nordic ski wax. Most folks use fish-scale
bottoms; they require very little mainte-
nance but tend to be a little draggy, especially on cold
snow. I have both kinds, and love
the fast silent ride that the waxed surface provides.
Choosing the correct wax is a
science, but with experience it becomes second nature.
The latest trend in all
skis, both nordic and alpine, is for a shorter fatter ski
with an hourglass shape.
This makes turning easier, sometimes almost too easy, as
a slight shift in
angle may send one off in a different direction than
intended. It certainly
is a beautiful morning, with a deep blue sky and
glistening snow.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
Thursday, January 28, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
22 degrees, breezy, overcast, flurries
We are right at the edge of a broad band of lake
effect snow that has delivered about an inch
of new snow to Gomer Hill so far today. Snow falls in
fits and starts, but the potential for heavier
offerings is shown on the Nexrad radar screen. Our total
snowfall for the past three days is a mere
three inches, but that is enough to change the landscape
from drab and dirty to white and flawless. Best
of all, this new snow gives us a great surface to ski
upon, user-friendly to those on two legs as well as four.
Even the deer don’t break through the bulletproof
ice that lies beneath the snow. I am looking forward to
at least one small ski tour with our dog before I leave
for work later. Sixteen turkeys stand out against the
stark white backdrop as they work their way across the
lower meadow, strung out as if on parade. The
recent thaw uncovered many weeds that had previously been
unappealing to wildlife; now that the pick-
ings are slim, they have returned for a second chance at
the burdock and milkweed seeds. I see that
they have picked off every last withered apple as well;
now it would seem that the cupboard is bare,
at least around the springbox copse. This time of year it
is common to find turkeys gathered at the
neighbor’s manure pile, picking out undigested bits
of corn and grain from the heap. They are
resourceful, that’s for sure. I am just as happy
with my Kashi cereal, or a piece of toast.
Such bounty as we can find in our own kitchens should not
be taken for granted.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
Wednesday, January 27, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
26 degrees, breezy, overcast, snowing
Yesterday’s snow was short-lived and we
received only about an inch of new
powder that was quickly swept from the icy surface by
high winds. I heard the plow
go up the road before dawn and was encouraged that more
snow had arrived overnight,
but our driveway is still mostly bare. Phooey. We have
seen another inch of fresh fluff this
morning, and this time it seems to be staying put. This
particular lake effect band is extremely
narrow, and hasn’t been able to decide if Gomer Hill
is on the route or not. I just spoke to a
friend who lives about five miles north of here, and they
have had four inches so far today. Again,
I say phooey. On the other hand, it has been a nice
change for my body to do some things that are
not skiing; a little cross-training is always a good
thing. More walking, more dance,and more redding
up the forgotten corners of the home front, all are
worthy activities that seem to fall by the wayside
when the ski conditions are prime. Now the snow is
falling pretty hard, dare I get my hopes up ?
Have a great day,
Daisy
Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
28 degrees, windy, overcast, snow
Snow has just started to arrive, at first just a few
sparse lonely flakes,
and now a mob of flurries streaks by the window. There
were several hours
of beautiful clarity last night, and a waxing three-quarter
moon rose to rule the
starry sky not long after midnight. Yesterday’s
torrential rain threatened to wash
out the pavement in front of our home as the ditches were
packed full of snow and
water gushed down the shoulder. Erosion is a mighty
disruptive force of nature. The
town crew came with the grade-all tractor to remove tons
of snow from the ditch, inci-
dentally removing the bridge to our west garden as well.
It was worth it, and the road
remains intact. It is much easier to repair a small
wooden bridge than to rebuild a road.
One spring we lost big stretches of pavement to the thaw,
and it was quite inconvenient
to say the least. The snow has picked up in intensity,
and it looks like the lake effect snow
machine has been switched on. There is a storm warning
from now through tomorrow after-
noon; of course, we are entirely at the whim of Old Man
Winter as far as lake effect snow
is concerned. Sometimes we are at the center of the
action, and sometimes we are missed
entirely. The only thing we can count on is what is
happening right outside our window at
any given time. Right now it is snowing hard and blowing
fast and it all makes me smile.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Monday, January 25, 2010, 8:15 a.m.
45 degrees, windy, fog, rain
What a soggy turn of weather, all rain, fog, and
snowmelt. The scene is so dim that
the yard light still glows well past sunrise. Sheets of
wind-driven fog vie for airspace with
heavy bursts of rain, and even though it is quite warm
out there, the yard has been pared down
to a sheet of hard ice with water flowing over it to
polish it into a flawless smooth and deadly slick
surface. Roadways have been clear for many days, but in
places which have been plowed but not
salted, ice has taken over. The seeps and drainage
troughs in the meadows have opened up into
wide flowing streams. There is a round circle of grass
over the cesspool, surrounded by steep
sides of soggy snow. This thaw will be short-lived, as it
all changes over into snow when the
wind does a u-turn and starts to blow from the west later
tonight. Lake effect snow is in the
forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday, and it is likely that
we will see the return of great ski
conditions before the week is over. The raceway at the
Oneida County Fairgrounds in Boon-
ville has been transformed into an oval of ice for the
upcoming Snow Festival, which features
snowmobile races on the track. By Wednesday the
temperature will have dipped low enough
to refreeze the ice that has been lost during the past
few days, and by Thursday night it should
be below zero. Judging from the ice in our yard, I am
certain that there is still a good base of
ice at the fairgrounds. Check http://www.boonvillesnowfestival.com/
to find out more details
of the festival, which starts with a torchlight parade
through the village on Friday night.
For today, I am happy to have many tasks to do indoors,
as well as a chance
to get off the Hill for the afternoon to work at a fun
part-time gig.
By this time tomorrow, the view should be very different.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Sunday, January 24, 2010, 8:15 a.m.
30 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
This warm south wind will surely eat away at our snowpack
today,
causing even more meltdown than the rains that will show
up tonight. I
think we have a pretty nice day ahead of us, and it may
be the last chance
we have for carefree outdoor fun until later this week.
There is a flood watch
in effect for most of our area, especially on the
lowlands. I guess this must be the
official January thaw; we get one nearly every
winter. While the temperature hovered
around thirty yesterday, the sun was out in full force
and we had a long walk at midday to
take advantage of the bare roads. The snow was still
pretty bad for backcountry skiing, so
that plan was ditched until further notice. Perhaps today
will be warm enough to soften the tough
crust that has made gliding so difficult lately. Our
meadows are so crisscrossed with critter tracks
and ski trails that it looks like there must have been
some kind of crazy circus going on up here: nope,
just one lone outdoorswoman, her little dog, and all of
our wildlife visitors who have stopped by for a
drink. This morning, the only things in motion in our
view are two ravens, circling the old potato field
across the road. If the rest of the Gomer Hill gang has
any inkling of what the next couple of days
will bring, they should be out foraging for as much food
as they can hold, so they can tuck in and
ride out the coming deluge in the relative comfort of
brushpiles, dens, and other hidey-holes.
For now, we should all get outside and enjoy this
beautiful day !
Have fun,
Daisy
Saturday, January 23, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
19 degrees, calm, sunny
There is a deep shade of blue that shows up on a
cold sunny winter day like this.
It stretches from one horizon to the other, and is the
deep vibrant hue that Crayola
might call January Blue. The temperature has risen
fifteen degrees since I arose this
morning, and it will probably pass the freezing mark as
the sun heats up the day. I was
in Remsen yesterday morning and was surprised how much
snow has fled the scene south
of Turin. We still have good coverage up here, but if we
get two days of rain tomorrow and
Monday, it will be tough sledding until more snow flies.
We went skiing after lunch, and as great
as conditions were on Thursday, they were that poor
yesterday. Enough thawing had occurred
during the day that the snow was rotten and unpredictable.
Whet had previously been a zippy
glide became a plodding trudge through icy crust.
Sometimes I would be gliding for a bit before
hitting a wet sticky patch, which was the equivalent of
slamming on the brakes. Fortunately, it was
an awesome sunny afternoon and I could amuse myself by
watching the dog roll in the snow and romp
like a puppy, and study the countless animal tracks and
signs that abound in the meadows. I saw one
line of tracks, which I had thought were either a cat or
a fox; they were small with four toes and the
stride pattern suggested those two possibilities. They
ended abruptly at the print of a wing that was
at least two feet long by my crude handspan measurement.
That was one big predatory bird. This
time of year, I would suspect an owl; I have never seen a
large hawk up here in the winter. We
have had snowy owls in the neighborhood before, and I
know there is a barred owl living in
the forest nearby, as I have heard it calling in the
night. I will keep my eyes peeled for pellets
and other sign that owls are nearby. I think today will
be suited to just about any outdoor
activity; as the snow softens, it should become more user-friendly
under our skis.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, January 22, 2010, 7:30 a.m.
24 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
Fog follows the river this morning, but here on
Gomer Hill we are bathed in sunlight.
Yesterday the brightness brought a few ladybugs out of
hiding, many weeks too early but
I guess they felt encouraged by the heat. Although the
temperature remained in the twenties,
it felt much warmer than that as I skied through nearby
meadows and hedgerows. The dog kept
up with me for nearly an hour, and when I noticed his
enthusiasm start to wane I brought him back
to the house before continuing on alone. He was thrilled
by all of the animal tracks in the neighborhood.
Of particular interest to him (me, too) was the hasty
trail left by a squirrel as it was chased by a coyote
from the house all the way into the adjoining hayfield.
There was no sign of bloodshed, but no return path
either. Maybe we don’t need to worry about this
pesky rodent scampering around in the walls any more.
The snow has thinned out enough so that there are several
places in the meadow with exposed stretches
of water which have attracted all kinds of critters. This
has been a pretty good winter for wildlife, with
good water to drink and a manageable depth of snow. So
far. Skiing conditions in the meadows were
perfect, with a firm base overlaid by a couple inches of
fresh light snow, zippy but easy to control the
speed. When I entered the woods, the crusty snow seemed
bottomless and that was disappointing,
to say the least. I laid down a track for a bit,
expecting that the return trip at least would be easier.
However, the frozen snow was so hard and fragile that it
assaulted my feet even through thick
leather boots, both coming and going, so I cut the
woodland experience short, and continued
my journey in more open areas. I guess the sun was able
to melt the snow more thoroughly
when not hindered by the shade cast by tall forest trees,
and as it thawed and froze several
times during the past week it became a more cohesive
surface out in the fields. In the woods,
it was just frozen slush, but with enough air in it to
crumble underneath skis. I noticed that deer
were able to traverse the meadows easily, staying pretty
much on top of it all, while in the woods
they had worn deep ruts in the snow. There seem to be
more deer this winter than in any other one
since we have lived here; I saw at least a dozen beds
over by the gorge, and well-worn paths are
becoming more like highways than trails. We have a couple
of sunny days ahead of us before
the clouds move back in, so get out and enjoy ourselves!
Don’t forget your sunscreen...
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
Thursday, January 21, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
18 degrees, calm, mostly sunny
A thick bolster of clouds hangs low over the Black
River Valley; I am sure
the lowlanders do not have the stunning morning view that
we currently enjoy
here on Tug Hill. There must have been some fog overnight,
as every little feature
is covered in fine rime, and against the deep blue sky
the trees look like they have
been sculpted from ice. As the sun’s rays strengthen,
this beauty will surely fade, so
if you haven’t had a chance to get out and see it up
close yet, get moving! This is that
rare combination of ingredients: a blue sky, fresh snow,
and no wind... that doesn’t hap-
pen very much in a North Country winter! I plan to
immerse myself in it as soon as I step
away from the computer. I think the snow is firm enough
that I can take the dog for a little
tour around the meadows before heading off alone into the
woodlot. There are fresh tracks
around the house, mostly cat and coyote, but I can see
several more trails down by the
springbox. It will be a fine day for observing animal
signs wherever you live.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
28 degrees, calm, mostly cloudy, flurries
Light snow falls straight to ground as there is no wind
at all this morning.
The flakes are tiny, and have glommed together into a
beautiful sheet of white
that has effectively hidden all of the mess left from the
little bit of thawing that has
occurred these past few days. I can see a pale pewter
disc behind the clouds, so it
just may morph into a partly sunny day. We sure do
appreciate the fresh snow atop the
frozen base, that’s for sure. We walked for quite a
ways on the Smith Road yesterday,
and the snow crunched under our feet like broken glass.
Needless to say we weren’t
able to sneak up on any wildlife, but there were signs of
them all around. Deer trails are
all over the place, deep ruts in the woods and little
pokey dents in the firmer surface of the
snowmobile trail. We saw several crows and a fleet of
pine grosbeaks on the wing. A chick-
adee kept pace with us for quite a distance, silently
conveying good cheer and joy in the day.
Fine rain or maybe snow (I couldn’t tell which)
filled the air, and there was that good refresh-
ed feeling of an expensive spa facial by the time we
returned to the house. It was one of
those days that looked bleak from indoors, but once
outside it was surprisingly plea-
sant. How often we make a judgment based on visual
perception alone; we need
to use all of our senses to properly evaluate a situation,
don’t you agree?
Have a great day,
Daisy
Tuesday, January 19, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
28 degrees, calm, overcast
The town plow woke me at 4:30 this morning, and I was
optimistic that there
was enough new snow to call out the crew. Alas, less than
an inch fell overnight,
barely enough to hide the snirt and grime that has slowly
come to dominate the land-
scape. Yesterday was an interesting day, full of sweet-scented
smoke trapped in the
swirling mist of low-lying clouds. Early morning drizzle
gave way to something more than
fog but less than rain, but as it was fairly warm outside
and not too breezy we had an en-
joyable walk, finally free from all of the snowmobile
traffic that had dominated the long
weekend. The air once again held the fresh scent of
melting snow, newly spread manure,
and the aforementioned smoke wafting up from our chimneys,
hinting of campfires,
outdoor summer cookouts, and everything good associated
with it. It is colder out
there this morning, and the old snow has firmed up a bit;
yesterday it was as soft
as a bowl of porridge. Perhaps the inch of fresh snow on
top of the solid base
will afford some good skiing later this morning. I would
like to go over into the
forest and see what kinds of critters have been out
enjoying the mild spell.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Monday, January 18, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
36 degrees, breezy, overcast, light rain
It isn’t cold enough outside for the rain to
be much of a problem, but as the
temperature drops during the day it will no doubt freeze
onto most surfaces if
it keeps up. The highways will be salted and sanded, but
side roads, parking lots,
and private driveways may become tricky for both vehicles
and pedestrians. Yester-
day was a jewel of a day, and we managed to enjoy two
good walks, one in the morning
with just my little pooch and later in the day when a
friend brought her dog up. I walked up
the Smith Road in the morning, and while there were
several groups of snowmobiles out on the
trail, all were kind enough to slow down and give us
plenty of room. The trail was riddled with
deer tracks, running along the length of it as well as
crossing every few yards. There seem to be
more deer out and about this winter than ever before,
perhaps because the snow hasn’t built up
to the crippling depths that confine them to one well-worn
patch of forest. With this current rain,
the snow is settling even more than before, and has
become a bit too mushy for prime back-
country skiing conditions. Snow
Ridge is open for alpine skiing and boarding today,
as it is
Martin Luther King Day, an official holiday since 1983.
There will be no mail delivery, and
schools are closed, but I still get to go to my part-time
job; I will be careful on the roads,
especially coming home after dark when the long-weekenders
are all headed the oppo-
site direction. Between the out-of-staters and the
suicidal deer, it will be a slow ride.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Sunday, January 17, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
28 degrees, breezy, mostly sunny
Early morning fog has given way to hazy sunshine; soft
shadows are cast
on the white snow and its warmth feels very nice. There
is thin layer of frost
on twigs and branches, but it is disappearing in a
twinkling as the sun kisses the
crystals. The temperature climbed to 35 yesterday, and
our overall snow depth
shrank considerably as the layers warmed up and compacted.
Our meadows
are cross-crossed with old ski trails and animal tracks
that are being revealed
as the snow settles. We walked rather than skied
yesterday, but plan to head
into the woods later today to see what surprises the warm
spell has brought
out of hiding. We are due for a little new snow later
today; it may be rain
at lower elevations, but I am confident that by tomorrow
morning we
will have a new layer of clean white snow here on Tug
Hill, as the
Great Artist prepares the canvas for another beautiful
scene.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Saturday, January 16, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
28 degrees, windy, mostly cloudy
The sky is bright enough this morning, but the
clouds are so dense
that I can’t tell exactly where the sun is at this
time. Dampish air blows
from the west; I don’t quite believe that there is
no rain or snow on the way
for the next couple of days. We will not see any sub-zero
temperatures for the
coming week, but that doesn’t mean that winter is
over, not by a long shot. It is
warm enough today that I will be able to take the dog for
a nice long walk without
his feet getting too cold. Back-country skiing may be a
little slow and sticky, depend-
ing on the quality of the snow. We have had a big flock
of turkeys hanging around our
neighborhood for the past week; they have been traveling
the path of least resistance,
which is usually right up the road. It is funny to see
them try to outrun a car or truck;
don’t they know they can fly? Turkeys aren’t
well-known for their smarts, but this
bunch seems to be a little more dim than usual. When I
drove down the hill yesterday,
I had to come to a full stop and wait for the flock to
saunter out of the way before I could
continue. Deer seem to be affected by a case of the slows
this time of year too, staring stupidly
at the car before deciding whether to run down the road
directly in my path or climb the banks
and take their chances in the deeper snow. This happens
in broad daylight, so I know it isn’t
the headlights that stun them into immobility. Keep your
eyes wide open, day or night; that
goes for snowmobiles even more than motor vehicles. There
have already been many sled-
deer collisions this season, and the deer are usually not
killed outright, but often suffer a
long time with broken legs before starvation and
infection finally allow them to rest.
Deer are worn out by mid-winter, and will almost always
follow a firm path (like a
plowed road or snowmobile trail) rather than break new
trail through the snow.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, January 15, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
32 degrees, windy, overcast. sprinkling
Fine drops of rain beat against the western facing
windows, and a bit of fragile ice
has built up on the paved part of the yard. Icicles grow
longer as I watch, with some
nearly three feet long already. If this is the January
Thaw, I can live with it so far, much
less unsettling than the torrential rains that can show
up this time of year. Our snowpack
has dwindled but there is still plenty of good base, and
the weekend looks to be great for
playing outdoors. Yesterday was sunny and warm-ish, and I
took the opportunity to take
our dog for a good long walk. He really had some hot fun,
going cracker-dog in the yard,
chasing sunbeams around in circles for a good five
minutes before I snapped on his leash
and headed up the road. The sun must have released all
kinds of good odors, as the walk
was stop-and-go for most of it, with his nose plowing
along in various scent-trails; I let him
call the shots. Tracks galore dotted the snow on both
sides of the road, everything from the
smallest little voles to deer and coyotes. There were
many turkey tracks in the cornfield; as the
remaining stalks become uncovered there must be enough
forage available to lure them out of
the woods. I walked along hatless and with my jacket
unzipped, and could almost see spring
lurking around the corner. old Man Winter loves to tease
us mere mortals; no doubt he
has several surprises left in his bag of tricks before
true spring appears on the horizon.
have a great day,
Daisy
Thursday, January 14, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
26 degrees, mostly cloudy, calm
A thin layer of ice sits atop all of the snow, and
is nearly invisible,
until you put your foot on it; then its presence makes
itself known in
a very surprising way. There must have been a little
freezing rain during
the night, as the ice wasn’t there when I took the
dog out before bedtime.
I guess if we want to avoid winter falls, we should walk
as if every surface
were slick and treacherous, with intention and a balanced
center of gravity.
We keep ski poles by every exit, just in case we need a
little extra help with
our footing. One time, my feet flew out from under me and
my friend said my
head bounced like a basketball, once real high, and two
lesser rebounds. We
were on our way to a party, which was no fun for me,
because I had to watch
for signs of concussion (which I had) instead of partying
hardy. If you do go
down in a heap, remember to try to tuck and roll, which
is hard if you’re
carrying groceries or a stack of library books. This time
of year, I really
should consider wearing my bike helmet and padded hockey
pants;
better safe than sorry. Perhaps I could start some kind
of fashion trend.
Meanwhile, the glazing will make backcountry skiing a
little zippy, especially
if we don’t pick up any fresh powder on top of it.
It is still thin enough that we
should break through the crust, but if we pick up any
more ice it will make for
some pretty technical maneuvering; not impossible, but
tricky. Who doesn’t
love a good challenge? Alpine skiing should be awesome,
as the trail
groomers will chop up the ice into sweet corn crystals.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Wednesday, January 13, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
16 degrees, breezy, overcast, flurries
The merest hint of snow sifts down to earth,
somewhat like an afterthought of the real thing.
I just noticed a spot of orange in the drab scenery, a
scattering of leftover maple leaves clinging
to one of the trees by the roadside. Of the three trees
that we planted there thirty years ago, two
are blown bald, but one still sports about a hundred
leaves, so far having failed to give them up to
the winter wind. It is common for beech and oak trees to
hold onto some of their fall foliage until
the new leaves of spring first appear, but I don’t
recall seeing leaves on a maple tree in January
until now. Yesterday I filled out my seed order for Fedco,
optimistic that this growing season
will be less problematic than the last. Every year we say
we will cut back on the size of our
plantings, but then some new variety of bean or whatnot
takes our fancy and we end up with
enough vegetables to feed half the county. Our freezers
and cellar storage bins are a testament to
our stewardship of the land we till. As the days begin to
grow a little bit longer, there is the yearning
for fresh salads that will dog my days until the first
lettuce and spinach can be sown into trays. Sure,
we can buy romaine and endive and even the occasional
head of iceberg lettuce, but nothing is as
good as greens taken directly from the soil. We grow
alfalfa sprouts during the winter months to
help fill in the gap, and of course there are always pots
of fresh basil on the windowsills to dress
up the store-bought salads, but of all of the things we
grow here on Gomer Hill, rabbit food is
what I really crave in the dead of winter. And the days are
growing longer; I realized that last
night as I drove home from work at 5:30 and realized it
wasn’t pitch-black outside. It was still
the lovely purple hour , a term used by an old
friend that really describes the subtle colors that
paint the sky after the sun has set. I suppose that is
technically referred to as twilight , another
lovely evocative term. As the motes of snow continue to
drift lazily about, I think about all of the
wonderful sunsets (and sunrises!) I have been fortunate
enough to immerse myself in here in the
North Country, after many years spent surrounded by
buildings and streetlamps with no clue of
the natural order of things. Each day is so full of
wonders, never the same, yet always the same.
Have a beautiful day,
Daisy
Tuesday, January 12, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
12 degrees, breezy, overcast, snowing
The wind has shifted around to the north once
again, so back into the deepfreeze we go,
for today anyway. The windchill is a bit daunting. Back
to zero for tonight, but then we may
see some gradual warming through the rest of the week,
with sunshine and highs in the thirties
for Thursday and Friday. We have had a little fresh snow
every day for most of January, and
it does add up to a foot or more of fluff that will
settle into a firmer base when the sun hits it.
For now, our backcountry skis glide smoothly along for
the most part, but when we hit a bit
of deeper snow on a downhill run it is like applying the
brakes on both wheels of a bicycle at
the same time, with the same result... only an endo in
the snow at eight miles per hour hurts
way less than on a gravel road at twenty. The snow
outside this morning is very pretty,
floating in a sweet meandering slow mosey during quiet
spells between hearty gusts.
Across the road in our west meadow, where the path is
unobstructed by buildings,
the flakes zip by with great purpose, heading north to
south and not slowing down
one bit. Here, by the south side of the house, the
flurries are given a chance to dance
and rest a bit, and provide a great show for the easily
amused (like me!) to enjoy with
their morning java. I expect to get out and immerse
myself in the day after the morning
chores are finished, dressed in layers to handle even the
stiffest of north winds.
Enjoy your day,
Daisy
Monday, January 11, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
18 degrees, breezy, overcast, flurries
It is easy to tell the wind is coming from the
west this morning, as that is the
direction that thousands of tiny snowflakes are traveling.
The shift from north to
west has brought more moderate temperatures into the area,
and while still cold
and wintry it may be a while before we see it dip below
zero again. The air feels
damp this morning, and the breeze passed right through
the fleece I wore to super-
vise the dog from the back step earlier. A windproof
layer will be a necessity if we
do much outdoors today. Three deer just crossed the road
down by the neighbor’s,
leaping over the tall snowbanks to gain access to the
plowed road and then up the
driveway. No one lives there now, but the yard is kept
plowed for the deceased
owner’s relatives to use on weekends and vacations.
We saw dozens of deer on
our way home from Little Falls late yesterday afternoon;
thank goodness many pairs
of eyes were vigilant. One small doe dashed right across
the main street in Poland, in-
congruent amidst the stately homes and rows of cars
parked along the road. We ar-
rived home before dark; I would not like to travel that
stretch of road with only
my high beams to spot all those deer. We passed a regular
convoy of trucks
and snowmobile trailers headed south on Route 12; perhaps
the next
few days will bring a bit of peace and quiet back to Tug
Hill.
Have a peaceful day,
Daisy
Sunday, January 10, 2010, 6:45 a.m.
6 degrees, breezy, starry
The sky has begun to lighten up somewhat, with a
bright band of orangey pre-dawn
radiance to the east, practically throbbing with color. A
crescent moon is surrounded by stars,
but I didn’t venture away from the yard light to get
the full effect; it is very cold out there. Yester-
day was sunny but frigid, and our walk was short because
the cold dry air was uncomfortable for
both me and the dog. I thought I might ski a bit, but the
wind never let up and I couldn't find the
motivation; I found plenty to do indoors. The great room
has resumed its pre-holiday status;
I miss the tree already. I am headed to Little Falls this
morning with a group of friends to
celebrate January with some Zumba dancing and Yoga asanas,
followed by potluck lunch,
a different kind of Sunday service, but apt. The hall
will be filled with music and movement, a
merry gathering where we will give thanks for the ability
to meet freely and the energy to do so.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Saturday, January 9, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
-2 degrees, windy, mostly sunny
A brisk north wind literally takes one’s breath away
on this frigid January morning.
The sun is bright but not all that warm; dark blue sky is
a good indicator of how very
cold it is out there. A thick roll of clouds sits low to
the east and runs the length of the
Black River as far as I can see. A couple of inches of
snow fell yesterday, and the wind
has rearranged it prettily in the meadows to obscure all
of our old ski trails as well as animal
tracks from the past few days. If the wind dies down, the
new layer of snow should part softly
under our skis if we decide to head out into the nearby
woodlands later. I am taking our holiday
tree out today; it has finally decided to start shedding
its fragrant needles. After I put away the lights
and bangles, I’ll tip it sideways onto a tarp and
whack it a few dozen times with a broom to loosen
more needles, and use them as filling in balsam pillows.
Then I will snip off a few pailsfull of small
branches for use as kindling, and also to chuck into the
firebox before going outdoors to perfume
the air around the house. The bulk of the tree will go
into the hedgerow, where little critters can
use it for shelter during the hard months. I have already
put away the porcelain angels from
the windowsill, and taken down most of the lights. We
leave the lights in the big kitchen
window until the end of February, when we replace the
small poinsettia plants with
tomato and pepper seedlings. The big wheel keeps on
turning, yes it does.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Friday, January 8, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
10 degrees, breezy, overcast, snowing
Snow is falling, small plentiful flakes that look like
they mean business.
An icy breeze is blowing right out of the north, so I
believe I won’t do much
in the way of outdoor fun today. We have to go south for
a morning appointment
anyway; perhaps the day will be a little more user-friendly
by the time we return. Our
front yard was just invaded by seven turkeys, three in
the ash tree pecking away at the
keys left dangling on the ends of the branches, and the
rest cleaning up the seeds that their
buddies knocked free. I am always amazed at the size of
wild turkeys; they are much bigger
than any other bird we have in our area, heavy of body
and lush with layers of glossy feathers.
I never realized they fed on ash keys until today, but it
makes sense, as they are mast-eaters,
relying on high-fiber forage like nuts, seeds, and dried
fruits. I even saw some eating tiny twigs
this morning. One looked up and saw me, and they all ran
full-tilt right down the road like some
crazy track and field event. Now they are gathered in
front of a neighbor’s driveway, pecking
up bits of salty grit from the road. They are the only
wild things on the scene this morning;
everyone else must be tucked in, waiting for the snow to
stop. Even a few inches of
fresh powder will serve to enhance the alpine skiing at
Snow Ridge this weekend.
Back-country skiers and snowshoers have been very lucky
this winter, con-
ditions have been nearly perfect and are only getting
better every day.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
Thursday, January 7, 2010, 8:15 a.m.
16 degrees, breezy, overcast
It is cold and a little damp outside but not windy
and so far no snow is in the air.
There are three starlings in the tree by the barn, but
they confined their morning greeting
to a few clicks and whistles, sounding a little like the
bushman from The Gods Must Be Crazy.
Yesterday we skied through the pine plantation up the
road from here and passed two ravens in
the cornfield feasting on some tasty morsel or other. We
have been seeing a single raven for a couple
of weeks, so perhaps my conjecture was correct that it
was seeking a partner; apparently it has found
one. They will begin hatching their brood in a few weeks
time, either reusing a previous nest or building
a new one, often in the same tree as the old. The single
raven is now flying around our east meadow,
alone once again. Perhaps the other one is working on the
nest. We entered the woods and there
had been a snowmobile up the logging road part of the way,
but when we turned off towards Mill
Creek the woods were untracked and the snow pristine. We
skied through tall pines and mixed
hardwoods, over swamps and past porcupine and deer trails,
the snow perfect under our freshly
waxed skis, silent and fast. We arrived at the creek and
found several good snow bridges, so we
crossed and climbed up the opposite bank to the state-owned
ski trails that originate at Carpenter
Road. Some machine had been over the Mill Creek trail,
leaving it ridged lengthwise like an extra-
long lasagna noodle. Our skis didn’t want to go
straight on that path; if the snow had been frozen into
that configuration, skiing would have been impossible. I
hope that isn’t the State’s idea of trail
grooming.
It may have been made by a snowmobile pulling a sled of
some kind. We squashed down the ridges as
we skied and admired the view of the creek, which is a
beautiful combination of dark rippling water and
snowy white banks and bridges. When we got to Jack’s
Track, the odd grooves veered off towards the
Snow Ridge Ski Area, but the other way had been overrun
by snowmobiles as well. For pete’s sake, if
a trail has signs that read No Motorized Vehicles, why
yes, that does include snowmobiles. It is good to
know that we can access the State ski trails from our
home here on Gomer Hill, but if they continue to be
torn up and defiled by snowmobiles, why would we?
Fortunately, the bummer lasted only a short while,
because as we blazed our own trail through the woods and
over the creek the peace and serenity of the
afternoon overrode our ire at the trespassers. The
skier’s equivalent of road rage could easily have
ruin-
ed an otherwise perfect afternoon, but life is short, and
outdoor adventures always trump inconsiderate
knuckleheads. After we returned home, I took our dog on a
brief ski outing down to the spring to
check out some tracks and pick up some kindling. He is
small, and usually trots along behind me
in my ski trail if the snow is deep, but when we got to
the spring he snuffled along following a
deer path, then went under the apple tree to dive
headfirst into the snow after a mouse
or vole. All I could see was his backside, tail spinning
like a top, as he tried to dig
his way to China. He packed more fun into those fifteen
minutes than I would
have thought possible. We can learn much about life from
our pets !
Have a great day,
Daisy
Wednesday, January 6, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
16 degrees, calm, overcast, snowing
Beautiful fat snowflakes float and hover in the
air in the absence of any wind on this fine winter morn.
Some of them appear to be falling up, especially
as they get close to the house. The clouds are thin;
the sun manages to brighten the scene from behind them,
only partially veiled. We have had pretty
constant snow for the past ten days, but it has been
light as a feather and easy to move around.
The town plows have been keeping up and roadways are in
great shape; I guess it is time to plow
our yard once again. At least there hasn’t been a
need to shovel the rooftops. Yet. I skied around
the meadows and saw plenty of fresh animal tracks, mostly
deer, cat, fox, and small rodents. One
coyote has been rambling around, mostly following the
smaller prey, but I haven’t seen any signs
of a recent tussle. There have been plenty of turkey
tracks in the cornfield across the road, but I
haven’t seen any actual turkeys for over a month.
There is some open water where our spring
overflows the catchment, and a new seep has appeared at
the spot where we buried the baler
last summer when we trimmed around the wet spots bypassed
by the farmer who harvested our
hay. Several deer have been taking advantage of that new
source to quench their thirst. The water
of Horsie Creek is still visible in a few spots, but it
won’t be long before the whole thing is covered by
snow. The back-country skiing has been so excellent right
here in our own neighborhood that I have not
yet been to any of the State trails; perhaps later today
we will ski through the pine plantation and see if
there is a good snow bridge over the creek, giving us
access to the Mill Creek Trail and Jack’s Track.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
Tuesday, January 5, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
14 degrees, breezy, overcast, flurries
The sun was shining bright for about an hour
earlier, but now the celestial ceiling
has turned grey once again, and snow falls gently to
earth. Yesterday Gomer Hill
received an additional three or four inches of the
lightest fluffy powder one can imagine.
Underneath it all there is still a dangerous layer of ice,
so use caution when walking about.
The roads have been sanded and salted and are in good
shape, but some yards and parking
lots hide some pretty gnarly ice. Be careful when you
take your dog for walks in the winter, as
the de-icer used on roads may hurt their paws if not
wiped off when returning indoors. Some-
times all that is needed is a quick trot through fresh
snow to get rid of the residue, but city-
dogs may not have that option. If you take your furry
friend on a long walk, remember
that there is not a lot of open water for them to drink;
be prepared to share yours.
Hydration is just as important for all mammals during the
winter months, although
not as obvious. Wouldn’t a big glass of fresh water
hit the spot right now ?
Have a great day,
Daisy
Monday, January 4, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
8 degrees, calm, overcast, flurries
Cold temperature in the presence of high humidity
has produced a thin layer
of rime frost on the twigs and branches of the trees and
shrubbery of Gomer Hill.
It is delicately beautiful and also serves as glue to
stick the current mosey of fine perfect
snowflakes to everything in sight. Two inches of fresh
powder has arrived during the past
twenty-four hours, and although the official holiday week
is over, this morning has a festive
air about it, looking much like the glitter-frosted model
village placed around a Lionel train track.
Yesterday was very cold with a stiff north wind, so we
didn’t venture too far from the house. The
dog was happy to spend time in the barn with me while I
filled kindling buckets and organized the
ski storage area. The feral cat that we have seen in the
area must be spending its nights in a neigh-
bor’s barn; we see its tracks occasionally circling
our barn and sometimes disappearing underneath
it, or leading to the crawlspace beneath the sunporch,
but there is no evidence that it has actually
entered the shelter of any of our buildings. I would
imagine that the barn up the road is warmer
from the horses’ kept within, and has the added
advantage of hay for the cat to burrow into for
a nap. Since we put all of our chickens in the freezer
last fall, there is no grain stored in the barn
to attract rodents, and thus no mice for a cat to hunt.
Our own cats occasionally fetch an unlucky
intruder up from the cellar, and leave it on the floor
for our admiration and praise. They never eat
their winter prey, which I find odd; in the summertime
they will gobble up all but the gallbladder
and stomach. Ugh. All of our cats are in sloth-mode,
dozing for most of the day; perhaps they
realize that they are getting enough calories from the
food we give them. In the summer they
range far and wide, covering several miles of meadow and
hedgerow every day, and
require more fuel. In this respect, they seem much
smarter than humans, who
will often eat when they are not hungry, and continue to
eat even after the
stomach is full. We could learn a lot from observing our
furry friends.
Have a great day,
Daisy
Sunday, January 3, 2010, 8:00 a.m.
1 degree, windy, overcast, snowing
The wind, the snow, and most of all, the single-digit
temperature makes this a near-blizzard.
The snow seems to be letting up a bit at this moment, but
just when I think the sun may appear,
Old Man Winter picks up the pace and snow falls once
again in a heavy sideways-blown curtain.
The raven is outside my window this morning, flying
against the wind with strong slow wingbeats,
stopping now and then to rest in a maple tree by the side
of the road. We heard a raven yester-
day as we skied around in the woodlot, but he may have
been to shy to appear in front of such
a merry band of women. We weren’t exactly sneaking
around, chatting, laughing, and pointing
out this and that to each other, so it is no surprise
that we saw very little in the way of wildlife.
There were four places where partridge had burst out of
the deep snow that had covered them
during Friday’s snowfall. You could see the imprint
of their plump bodies with very clear outlines
of both wings as they lifted off. As we looked at the
hidey-holes, two more birds flew up from the
nearby banks of Horsie Creek with a loud rustle of wings.
Other than those very fresh wingprints,
we saw no other recent tracks. There was a fresh coating
of about four inches of powder, and we
could tell where deer trails and beds were, but all were
covered by snow, leaving shallow impressions
rather than clear tracks. All of the smallest critters
must have been tucked in for the day, as there was
not even one squirrel trail to be found. While we skied
in the woods, the sun came out for a short time,
and the whole forest glittered and glowed with almost
surreal illumination. When we left the sheltering
trees and emerged into the meadow, the wind was raw and
snow pelted our faces, making our warm
kitchen feel even more cozy than usual. I love the kind
of slow ramble on skis that made up yester-
day’s outing, taking the time to check out
interesting fungi on trees, looking for shining patches
of dark rippling water in the snowbound creeks, and
licking Mother Nature’s Slurpies from
low branches. The cardiovascular benefits and muscle
strength and endurance that take
place while climbing hills or maneuvering around fallen
trees may be an important
benefit to be gained from cross-country skiing, but the
act of gathering with
friends and sharing time together in a beautiful place is
beyond measure,
a real treat for the spirit that goes beyond the
physical.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
Saturday, January 2, 2010, 9:00 a.m.
16 degrees, breezy, overcast, flurries
A few flurries float by now and then, but the biggest
part of today’s winter storm seems to
be located over the northern part of our state and into
the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.
The sun is a pale shiny circle just veiled enough by high
thin clouds that I don’t need to drop
the curtain for now. There was about an inch of new snow
on the ground this morning, not
really enough to plow, but the town had been by and
pushed our banks back; we had to
remove that snow jam from the end of the driveway anyway,
and then scraped away the
rest as long as we were out with the truck. Several
friends are headed up to ski into the
swamps with me this morning, and the conditions should be
some of the best this year.
It is chilly enough that the snow won’t be in the
least bit sticky, and we should be able to
see some awesome tracks and other animal signs if we keep
our eyes open. This is the first
morning in a week that I haven’t seen the raven that
has been hanging around, but the day is
still young. A pair of bluejays has been camping out in
one of the tall spruce trees in the back
yard, as they have done every winter for several years. I
wonder if they are the same birds ?
I love to see their bright flash of color on an otherwise
black and white morning.
Have a wonderful day,
Daisy
Friday, January 1, 2010, 8:30 a.m.
28 degrees, breezy, overcast flurries
It is nearly as bright outside this morning as it was at
midnight, with the full moon beaming down
from behind clouds but still illuminating the night so
well that I could watch a fox trot across the
back meadow with my bare eyes. happy new year, happy new
decade, happy new day !
Here is a little history of the holiday, taken from The
Writer’s Almanac :
Today is New Year's Day.
Various New Year traditions have been celebrated for a
long time -
the earliest recorded celebration was in about 2000 B.C.
in Mesopotamia,
where the new year was celebrated in mid-March, around
the time of the vernal equinox.
Iranians and Balinese still celebrate the new year with
the spring equinox. The Chinese New
Year is based around the lunar cycles, and it can fall
between late January and late February.
In Europe, the Celtic New Year began on November 1st,
after the harvest.
The first time that New Year's Day was celebrated
on January 1st was in 45 B.C.,
when Caesar redid the Roman calendar. He based it on the
sun instead of the moon
(like the Egyptians), added some days to the year, and
declared every January 1st the
start of the new year. But Caesar had subtly
miscalculated the length of the solar year,
and declared an extra day in February every four years,
which turned out to be slightly
too often, so that by the Middle Ages the calendar was
about 10 days off. It wasn't
until the 1570s that the calendar was finally refined
with leap years in the correct
places, and since then, January 1st has been celebrated
as New Year's Day.
"Auld Lang Syne" has become a classic song for
ringing in the New Year.
The Scottish poet Robert Burns (books by this author) heard an old
man sing
"Auld Lang Syne" in rural Scotland, and he
revised it, added verses, and published
it as a poem in 1796. He said, "There is an old song
and tune which has often thrilled
through my soul." But "Auld Lang Syne"
didn't gain prominence as a New Year's song
until 1929, when the bandleader Guy Lombardo played it at
the Roosevelt Hotel in
New York City, and it became an American tradition.
To read more from The Writer’s Almanac, check
out this link.
Have a great day,
Daisy
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