Snowless but skunkful

Where are the snows of yesteryear? Here we are at the end of January with nothing to show for our winter except a series of dark, wet, rainy, gray days with only the barest occasional dusting of snow that doesn't last. We've had more sleet than snow this month, and we face more danger of slipping on mud than ice. 

We took a walk around Hogue Wild today and found a few birds and buds, lots of mud to slip on, and plenty of signs of wildlife. Deer trails and scat dot the hillside, and our back yard is pockmarked with little muddy holes dug by skunks searching for grubs, which makes me miss my old Hopeful hound even more. 

The resident lumberjack took some time to examine the next big chopping job: a tree dangling precariously in the woods alongside the driveway. It's an awkward spot to reach with a chain saw but at least there's nothing nearby that it will destroy when it finally falls. This mild winter means we haven't used as much firewood as we have in previous years, but it's good to be prepared. After all, winter isn't over yet, and that big snow may be coming just around the bend.