the day: jan. 16th. low 20s, heavy low clouds, no wind in the woods, lots of it out on the pond.
the adventure: linda, skip, and i went out to 'beaver pond' to skate. it's a mile hike out to a 3-4 acre pond in the middle of a boggy area.
the memories: we counted 7 beaver lodges, four of which looked much older and unused. here is one of the bigger, newer models with a happy couple at the front door.
besides beavers, there are very likely a few otters living in the area and using the pond to hunt for food and play in. in the winter that means sliding along on their bellies. it's hard to see in the picture on the left, but linda is pointing at a slide track. they were sliding for at least a couple hundred feet, along the leeward side of the pond. their prints are there too.
the 'otter hole' on the right, is surrounded by slide tracks and prints. we never saw them out and about though.
skip sent me this video...
notes:
- the 'wild' ice was excellent for all the swings in weather we've had!
- going north-west ~ish, the wind was pretty stiff and almost cold!
- heading south-east ~ish was like flying!
- bring tea and cookies next time to avoid collapse!
go outside and play!
