Bright, Bright

Today was an absolutely stunningly bright early spring day. 

 

Perfect for strapping on snowshoes (and a baby) and heading out for a hike.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Onward, Winter

Winter soldiers on. 

 

Yesterday I set out in the blowing cold and snow to visit the falls.  Getting there this time of year can be tricky, and I wouldn't recommend it to someone who hadn't visited in other seasons.  The water is quite high right now, and you never know what lurks beneath the surface of deep snow.  I stick to areas I know are safe, give wide berth to spots I know have water in other times and watch where the bigger animals are making their paths. 

 

It was a rewarding trip, although I am ready to see what Spring will bring.

 

 

Quiet

Early this afternoon I set out in the brilliant blue and sparkling white to hike through the woods to the place we call the second beaver pond.

 

As always, I came out of the forest feeling refreshed and so lucky to live in such a beautiful place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Fox

There is plenty of fox activity around Maple Lake.  From a solitary fox running across our front lawn, to the mother and nursing kits I saw on a run last spring, they are everywhere, and I love them.

 

 

I'm not always lucky enough to see them, so winter's snow provides a perfect opportunity to see what our resident fox has been doing.  Tracks along the lake shore and across the ice are the most common.  He or she also lopes up our slope, coming quite near to the house.

 

In Celtic lore, the fox symbolizes a cunning wisdom, having an intimate knowledge of the woods and acting as a guide... or possibly leading enemies astray. This makes perfect sense to me when I observe our fox's trails.  The trails are confidently laid; this creature knows where he is coming from and where he is going.

 

I don't doubt for a second that our fox isn't very aware of our movements.  This is probably why we rarely lay eyes on him.  When I saw the mother and kits that spring day while running, my granddad said that the mother had been watching me for a long time to let me stop and watch without running off immediately.  I believe this to be true - animals know more about us than we know about them.  They are far more skilled in the art of watching than we are.

 

I love knowing that animals are flourishing all around us in the fields and forest that surround Maple Lake.  It is always a good day when I see new tracks, or even better, catch a glimpse of our rusty-red furred friend.

Mystery

Last week I noticed something strange on the driver's side front door of my car.  A paw-print.  Actually two paw prints.  One was very clear, while the other was smudged as if whatever had made the mark was scrambling or slipping a bit.  It was rather large.  Too large to be a stray cat.  It was large enough to make me think that whatever made the print was looking into my car window. 

But why?

And what was it?

 

 

 

My first thought was feline.  The pads are more round than oval, in particular the centre pad.  There is also no evidence of a claw register.  Now, a claw register likely wouldn't show up on a print left on a car, but the complete absence of one made me think cat.  The reason why the claw register is important is this: a cat retracts its claws when walking, therefore leaving no claw impressions.  A canine doesn't, and the claw registers in a print.

A visit with my granddad confirmed my suspicions.  He believes it was a bobcat, too.

 

Now.  Do I really think a bobcat was roaming around by my house and looking in my car?  I don't know.  There is certainly plenty of bobcat habitat around here - but why would one come so close to our house, and what would it want with my car.

 

But was else could it be?

 

In referencing my tracking book (Tracking and the Art of Seeing: How to Read Animal Tracks & Sign by Paul Rezendes), I concluded that by the size of the prints, it could be one of three things: the aforementioned bobcat, a large fox or a domestic dog.  The prints measured 2 1/4 inches by 2 1/4 inches. 

 

 

 

 

 

We have plenty of fox, and they do come close to the house, so it certainly could be that.  There aren't many dogs around, though, so I'm hesitant to say it was a dog.  There is also the shape of the print to consider.  It is quite round and symmetrical (as evidenced by the measurements!).  Cat prints are typically more rounded than canine, and there is still the issue of no claw register.

 

I suppose I will never know what left the prints on my car that morning, but I will always wonder, and be aware, in particular when I am leaving to go anywhere in the dark!