Snowy Ramble

It was too cold in the woods yesterday for much photo taking, but I was happy to be out among the rocks and the snowy trees for a few hours.

The pines all around were laced with the first snows of the season and their branches arched gracefully toward the ground, tiny round icicles suspended like shiny new coins or Yule ornaments from almost every frond.

Gone was last week's dry rustling under one's hiking boots, the crackle of fallen leaves gone dry and leathery. Along the trail into the woods, there was only the muffled sound of my Baffin footwear moving slowly through the deep snow and the merry chatter of the chickadees who were my companions. There was a flask of hot tea in my backpack, water and biscuits for Cassie, apples for the deer and seed for my small black capped friends.