Spring Smiles Slowly

 

The snow around the lake is deep but melting and sublimation are taking their tolls on it. Piles are coming down from the roofs increasing the piles in the ground. The very bright and warm late March-early April sun is just heating up anything that is not white, causing a decline of the piled white.

Even the lake is showing some spring to it. A spot or so where the ice showing without it cover is out there. They are few, but the snow layer is getting thin. Of course, that ice has a ways to go before the liquid form takes over.

Geese are coming back to the lake. Not the hundreds that left yet, but the advance guard scouting the world for the next base. A duck was spotted in Fish Hook Lake sitting in some mighty cold water, just a tiny open spot where one of the streams enters the lake. And judging from the pileated woodpecker action, the trees in all directions must have some life of interest to birds. The deer seem to be finding things to eat. They hung out in the next door valley of pines munching on things poking through, with odd hits at some bark

When the sun got going the days were just wonderful. Just sweaters and hoodies against the cold, hardly the thickness of modern fibers required just days ago. even gloves came off for a short time. As Oliver said, "please Sir, some more?"

lots of snow

A deep, pure white snow covers the lake. A few snowmobile tracks dent its surface, and the snowmobilers must have come on around the bay and did some 360s. Either that or they chased each other’s tails a while. Winter has been most generous with snow and driving around has become a game of peak before going.

In the pine filled cut in the next lot, deer have been resting. The deer seem rather pushed for getting those few visible grasses. One good bite of tree bark was noited.

Of course, all this snow is our future drinking and lake water. Drought should not loom its head here, unless late summer dries this all out. The lake has an inch or two of water content just sitting there waiting to become liquid. The surrounding area has about the same ready to flow in and concentrate as lake.

Some drifts go to two plus feet. Walking to the lake is a slow process if one goes at all, since with each step one sinks two feet as the iced surface cracks and the fluff underneath gives way.

More snow is on the way. In the warm sun of a day back, some melting took place. The roof lost one big sheet of snow and ice; and left a nice pile along the ground.

The trees have had this coat of snow for some time, but the sun and wind do change the coat from time to time.  In all a beautiful year coming to shape at the lake.