I went snowshoeing

I bought snowshoes on Tuesday, when I was in Concord and found a sale at Eatern Mountain Sports. Yesterday was very sunny and about 17degrees F. It was hot in the sun and much cooler in the shade. I have never been snowshoeing, but it seemed like a very practical idea. I took my binoculars, my camera, and my cell phone (so my mother wouldn't worry. She also provided the very warm-flannel-lined jeans I was wearing.)I hoped I would get to skitter along the top of the snow like a water-strider, but this was not to be, at least not on this very fluffy snow. Asterix tried bravely to accompany me, but he sank in up to his kitty shoulders even in my trail, so he went home. On snowshoes, I found I was sinking in to about the same depth as the local turkeys;



in fact, I followed their trails and found that they picked quite a good path, slightly prepacked. Since the ones in my driveway walked where I had broken the snow I figured they wouldn't mind if I reinforced their trails. The exertion going up the hill in back of the house was enough to keep me warm. It was lovely. The light was spectacularly clear and pure.

Branches of one of the three bigs oaks:


Nice weird drift: