Mar 29 2011
Winter Kill
A big thaw about a week and a half ago melted off most of the snow in my yard. That and the return of robins, blackbirds and geese gave me an early case of spring fever. But temps have hovered around freezing since then, making me surly. It’s been a long, snowy winter this time around, and I’m ready to see the end of it.
I reworked my Paris travel book this morning, getting it ready for publication. At first working on it was a pleasant escape from the reality out my window. But after a while, it got to me. I can only take that bubbly, upbeat narrative a few hours at a time. It really doesn’t suit my end-winter mood.
I went for a short hike this afternoon, more to burn fat than anything else. I had expected the temps to climb into the 40s by now. No such luck. So I donned my thermals for what I hope will be the last time this year. Then I loaded my dog Matika into the car and headed for the Rail Trail.
The trail was clear at first, while we were passing through farmer’s fields, but quickly turned to hard-packed snow under the cover of trees. Yeah, it’s still winter in the woods.
Matika was happy to be outside, as always. There were plenty of new and interesting smells to keep her busy. I let her do her thing undisturbed while I trudged along leaving tracks in the snow. I daydreamed about finding the first shoots of skunk cabbage, or some other sign of spring. Maple sap lines appeared. That’s about all.
Where’s Matika? I looked around, catching her silhouette against the snow about thirty yards off trail. She was tugging at something. I called her away from whatever it was that she had found, then went over to investigate. Sure enough, the bloody leg bones of an unlucky deer protruded from the snow. I didn’t have to dig up the rest of it to know what had happened. Like I said, it has been a long, snowy winter.
A short while later, Matika and I found the fresh tracks of another deer pressed deep into a muddy stretch of snow-free trail – a survivor most likely searching for food. I turned us around before spotting it, concerned that my canine companion might give chase. We had gone far enough, anyway. And while walking back to the car, keenly aware of my winter fat, I wasn’t quite as surly as I’d been before.
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