The date was December 1st 2024, I was watching the two beavers in front of my home preparing for the winter. They seemed to be in a heightened state of activity which made me wonder if they knew something the weather channel did not.
Sure enough, slow steady snowflakes started to descend from a featureless grey sky. I sat on the bank of the pond and watched as the flakes landed on my pants, showing their unique patterns before succumbing to the heat of my legs.
The Beavers did not look up from their work, choosing instead to continue the mudding of their lodge roof and stockpiling of tender saplings; upon which they would feast during their time locked beneath the ice of the pond.
The snow started to fall in earnest and before the hour hand on a clock could make it to the next marker, we were engulfed in a snow globe.
The following morning, I found myself outside, staring at the depth of the snow surrounding me. "This is mid-January snow!" I muttered as I trudged to the barn to extract my snowshoes and head off into the forest to read the tracks of those wild ones with whom I share the forest with.
Donning the shoes, I began to create the very first snowshoe tracks of the season. Snowshoe Hare tracks were abundant along side that of Red Squirrel and mouse. I came across a few deer tracks but they had not yet created their usual trails.
This video simply highlights portions of the trek which happened on the first day of significant snowfall of the season.
I am happy that winter has shown up early and hope that the snow will stay to blanket the forest and protect it from the deep cold which will inevitably come when January comes calling.
R.G.W.
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