Sunday, 8 March 2015. Daylight Savings Time.

Almost like magic, the sunshine arrives as the clocks spring ahead to Daylight Savings Time.

Encouraged by sunshine and the promise of warmer weather, my faithful companion and I headed out for a breath of fresh air hoping to capture a few images along the way.

We were greeted with fresh snowmobile tracks effectively breaking up the ice-encrusted pathway that crunch-crunch-crunch'd under yaktrak-covered, insulated boots. For a hundred yards my spirits were lifted by the almost clock-like sounds and I allowed my thoughts to drift as my eyes drank in the brightness enfolding me.

Glancing ahead to the patiently-waiting pup in a playful posture, I moved from the broken ground to the smooth edge of the path knowing the easier footing would mean we could travel further in less time. After weeks of very little exercise, both of us need to stretch out and get our hearts pumping.

Then the sun came out in earnest. Blue sky with fluffy white clouds appeared before us.

It was at this point the smell of musk hit us. The breeze had shifted and wafted it directly to our nostrils. Bandit's snout raised in the air to catch from whence it came; looking at me from the corner of his eye as if to ask, "Can I get it, Mama?" . Feeling like a big, old meanie I motioned for him to go ahead. He obediently moved forward down the line. Had he persisted the spoken command 'leave it' would have been sufficient to urge him on his way. He's a good, well-trained dog... for me anyway. 

Currently, the danger of hiking off trail lies in the drifted snow buried under a layer of ice. Even when you know the lay of the land it's treacherous. After two days of freezing rain and sleet on top of a week of heavy snowfall, the resulting crust has covered drifts that both he and I have had unpleasant personal experiences with. The surface is strong enough to withstand the weight of quick passage, yet when you pause and the distribution of weight concentrates in one place the ice cracks, dropping you several feet into powdery, sand-like snow that is difficult to escape. [I sank hip-deep in the back yard by taking one step too many off the shoveled path.] Very dangerous off-trail conditions for both man and beast.

I have a fairly good idea what kind of animal has been 'scenting' on the trail and am actually glad to see the occasional paw prints. Rabbits are a scourge to local gardens and I'm among those who welcome a predator to the neighborhood. Nature will take care of overpopulation when allowed to do so. Hopefully no one will call the game warden to set out traps. [We're convinced that BootZee's broken leg was from a trap. Hard way for him to come live with me, but he has a warm, loving home now and that's what matters.]

Yesterday temperatures hovered near freezing. A pleasant change from the sub-zero polar vortex of February. We hoofed it to the river bend to see if there was an ice jam like there was last year. We found a pretty scene, but no plates of ice gathered at the turn. Apparently the Spring thaw has yet to begin.


I hope you've enjoyed the scenery I've shared with you today. Also hope you can get outside and breathe some fresh air yourselves. Make the best of it, folks! Blessed be.