We live in the north. Our backyard gives away to nothing- just endless wilderness. This has been a real winter. Our daughter looks out this window, spots the snowblower and goes"geeeeer"; imitatating the only means of carving our way into town.
The winters here are long. We spend much of our time biding our time: streaming acoustic ensembles that make Jerry Douglas and Steve Earle cry, cooking food that folks pay fifty bucks a plate for. Have you ever tried grilling a piece of chicken theigh at thirty below? It takes a while bit It's all worth it. We're just waiting to cash in on the next glorious wilderness mile that awaits us down our trail. Why- because that next mile will most likely glide on by tomorrow. Accessibility, just like possession, is everything.
If you look close you can see the advancing lake ice working it's way west against the western winds.
Despite its northern geography, Lake Superior rarely completely freezes over. Yet the prolonged arctic weather that has characterized this winter has fostered the unrelenting advance of lake ice. Prominent westerly winds leave the north shore of Minnesota the last to freeze. Stiff winds and a deep basin result in a longer period of time (and/or colder temperatures) it takes for the north shore of Minnesota to freeze. Nonetheless this winter weather has prevailed to accomplish such a feat!
With a dying population of wolves on Isle Royale, the hope was that the lake ice could provide an opportunity for "mainland" wolves to cross the ice andix up the genetics of the current dewindling pack. Unfortunately that road goes both ways. One of the last remaining fertile females was found dead on theainland after an apparently overwhelming crossing back.
Digging into the "reserve" wood pile.
By most indications this has been the coldest winter in 35 years. My depleted wood supply coraborates that fact. A few weeks ago (with temperatures thirty below) I packed a snowshoe trail up to my reserve stash of dried firewood. Digging it out of four plus feet of snow took another hour or so but I finally got into into and was able to cut another few weeks worth of wood. I intend for this extra bit to supplement our supply in the upcoming spring.
It has been a particularly bitter winter for the deer. With five feet of snow in the woods and more nights twenty below zero or less for almost four months the herd has certainly been thinned. At night they will bravely eat out of the bird feeder at our window. They are basically relegated to walking roads and snowmobile trails. The snow banks along the driveway were taller than the deer above.
A southern breeze blows. Trail miles have been hard to come by. It has been a few days since the last snow and frigid temperatures have locked up the packed trails into an uneven and slippery surface. Still the high spring-like sun is beginning to melt the southern facing roads!
