February 13

Saturday would have been a good day at Forest Hill for a hike with my dog, Remi.  However, our weekly saunter was postponed until Sunday afternoon. The weather was partly sunny with a temperature of 43 degrees and a steady wind out of the southwest. I got out of my car and walked east past the Storage Building. Before I descended the hill to Mallard Marsh, I paused to contemplate the western vista. Despite the warmer temperature, old man winter continued his strong grip on the Nature Area. Lots of snow still covered the dormant vegetation. Thick ice still sealed off the wetlands. Colors of the season still included brown meadows and black woodlots. There was no Chlorophyll in sight. Most signs of wildlife remained hidden. I turned at the entrance to North Woods and hiked south. At Willow Wallow, I observed lots of deer tracks crossing over the ice.  Continuing around Succession Field, I was surprised to hear the rustling of some dried leaves still clinging to a few small oaks next to the trail. I hiked up to Artist Overlook and paused to contemplate the eastern vista. Here too, winter continued its strong grip on the landscape. All trees and shrubs remained leafless except the evergreen trees far off by Brady Cemetery. Sora Swale remained frozen solid. The fields remained buried in deep snow. Most plants and animals were in no hurry to emerge from their winter retreat. Turning east, I noticed that with the white snow as background it was easy to spot the tiny seeds of Aster, Goldenrod and Wild Carrot that littered the trail. As I approached Frog Fen, I noticed, off in our neighbor’s field to the south, a family of a dozen or so wild turkey foraging among the corn stubble. From the top of Reflection Hill, Grebe Pond continued to appear lifeless and barren even though there was quite a bit of standing water on the ice due to the melting snow. Descending the hill, I observed tracks from the sleds made by school children participating in a field trip last week. Heading back to the Classroom Building, I noticed several clean-cut tops of twigs sticking through the snow indicating rabbits had eaten them.  I looked up to see a dozen or so Starlings perched high up in a Cottonwood tree. Next, I stopped and observed that the bird feeders needed to be filled. As I walked past the Classroom Building, I recalled how surprised I was earlier in the week to see a live Woolly Bear Caterpillar walking on top of the snow. Apparently, the anti-freeze chemical it produced was working quite well. I hoped it would survive until spring so it could form a cocoon and change into an Isabella Tiger Moth. Finally, It was time to depart this refuge and return to civilization.

Still lie the sheltering snows, undimmed and white

And reigns the winter’s pregnant silence still

No sign of spring, save that the catkins fill,

And willow stems grow daily red and bright.

These are days when ancients held a rite


Of expiation for the old year’s ill,

And prayer to purify the new year’s will.

Helen Hunt Jackson