February 20

Thursday, Remi and I hiked at Forest Hill Nature Area where I wore snowshoes again to navigate through the deep snow. The early morning weather was overcast with a temperature of 30 degrees and a slight breeze out of the north. At the crest of the hill, I gazed west at a landscape that remained buried in deep snow after another record-setting week. Passing Mallard Marsh, I trudged through Bobolink Meadow where I spotted the shell of a Milkweed pod still attached to the stalk and dreamed of spring. I turned into North Woods and headed west where the snow was deep enough to nearly cover an 18-inch marker post next to the trail. Near the boardwalk, I noticed where some hungry critter had dug up the honeycomb of a Bald-faced hornet’s nest that had fallen from a nearby tree earlier in the season. I exited the woods and began to circle Succession Field where I began to see evidence that the prolonged winter and deep snow was forcing deer to feed on less desirable food such as Willow and Dogwood bark. Continuing on the far west trail, I broke the strap on one of my snowshoes rendering it useless thus forcing me to carry my poles in one hand, my snowshoes in another while shuffling through deep snow. At the entrance to South woods, I abandoned my snowshoes and followed the trail south to the edge of desolate Swanson Swamp where I noticed some rarely-seen green excrement of the Cottontail Rabbit, since they quickly eat it . I turned around and retraced my steps when I spotted a Raccoon curled up and sleeping in the crotch of the large Oak tree near the entrance. Exiting the woods, I grabbed my snowshoes and poles and headed east past the picnic tables that were barely visible under the deep snow. At Artist Overlook, I looked down on snow-covered Sora Swale and continued south where I noticed purple spots on the snow where deer had been feeding on wild grapes that had fallen earlier from a vine in a tree above. Following the south trail, I arrived at Frog Fen, turned north and began to climb Reflection Hill when three deer ran up the hill in front of me, stopped and stared before heading west. At the top of the hill, I looked down at Grebe Pond and proceeded down the hill to the north where the snow had been flattened yesterday by school children sledding. Heading toward the classroom, I once again could see where bark had been stripped off willow trees by hungry deer. Finally, we arrived at the classroom where I filled the bird feeders before hopping in the car for our trip home.

Daybreak in February

Ends the longer night

Nature opens her eyes

In dawn’s early light

Gone, birds of summer

Butterflies, out of sight

North wind prevails

Gone, bees in flight

A frigid morning hike

For me is shear delight

D. DeGraaf