Finally a day without snow or sleet or rain.  I really wish good old Mother Nature could make up her mind on these things.  Maine has always been known for unpredictable weather but in recent years it’s been a little stranger than normal.  The snow has finally stopped, the sun is shining, and the temperature has dropped into the teens. A perfect winter day for taking photographs and walking in the woods.

I loaded my snow shoes and camera into the car and away I went.  I did a two mile walk through the woods along the Scarborough Marsh.  It’s an eleven hundred acre marsh bordering on the ocean and it’s surrounded by woods and a large variety of wildlife.  Today the wildlife was scarce because of the deep snow but there were still plenty of tracks of many of the smaller animals who don’t weigh enough to sink into the snow.

I was able to take quite a few photos and I think some of them are really decent. Unfortunately it was cold enough that my camera became a little sluggish and I was forced to keep it inside my clothing to keep it warm and operational.  The wind chill is around eight degrees but the good thing is a hard crust is forming on the snow. By tomorrow I won’t be needing any clunky snowshoes to get around.

I did find a few of the stupider ducks who must have forgotten to go south for the winter.  There were about twenty of them huddled along the shore in the freezing water having a meeting to elect a new navigator.  The one they have must be a moron.

I did catch a quick look at my nemeses, the big fat barn owl I’ve been trying to get photos of forever.  He’s always around but never sitting still or close enough for me to a good shot.  I keep telling myself, be patient, and I’ve been telling myself that for almost two years.  He’s either extremely lucky or just a lot smarter than I am.

The cold finally began getting to me and I retreated back to my car.  It just felt so damn good to get out into the woods without worrying about hunters mistaking me for a cow or some other animal.  I did see quite a few deer tracks but noting fresh. I’d love nothing better than a nice clear picture on a nice clear day of a deer standing alone in the snow.  I’m sure to see a few before the winter ends and hopefully I’ll get lucky soon.  Who knows.

I’m back home now and thawing out a little. I need to take a quick shower and then answer a few emails before dinner.  My better-half’s been craving chicken wings for days and she’d better be using my wing sauce in her preparations or there’ll be hell to pay.

All in all a pretty good day.  I got out of the house for a few hours, walked in the woods, got some fresh air, and took a nice collection of photos.  I’ll take this kind of day any time.