Now that we are in our fifth month of March, the snow comes...not much, a heavy 10 inches, a trifle to us...but ironic. I have said in previous blogs that I LOVE March! It is the only honest month. Always nasty. Snow, then 50 degrees, then -5 degrees, then all around the weather map. Cool! In any case below you see the Spruces at the top of the Near Field in all their winter splendor, draped in new snow.
and pups one and two calling me to head out on the trail. Normally this time of year I would be packing snow trails with a snowmobile, nearly until April. But this year, I just run the John Deere around the fields, and make a path to walk. C'mon they bark! Let's go!
OK, and we're off to the Far Field!
We finally made it! They love this field because it is far enough from home that there are always whiffs of coyote, and fox, and deer, and fisher and neat stuff like that!
It is sugaring season now, and you can see a two inch branch I cut off this rock maple has bled the sweet sap we all yearn for.
Here is a decent sized maple icicle that is as sweet as a popsicle!
Meanwhile, back at camp, the frost has heaved so far, and so many times, that the beautiful granite outside of the camp fireplace was flipped over and broke into three pieces...This just means one more summer project I hadn't counted on...
Another view. I suppose it is time after all these years to line this thing with firebricks...
Just before the snow I was taking the pups for a road trip around town and saw this 60+ bird flock of turkeys. I am zoomed in on them from quite a distance, but they are still headed. I will forward this to NHF&G as they want sightings. I have seen other flocks in this exact spot that numbered over 125. This winter didn't hurt turkeys one bit.
As you know, I cruise my perimeter trails quite often, and after hearing lots of chain saw noise and chipper work coming from the west side, I jumped on an ATV and headed out to see what was going on. Up along my western border, a neighbor is heavily logging an eighteen acre piece. This is wonderful news, as the forest was far too mature with little understory. With these openings, the deer will be hitting this area heavily within a year or two. These shots are just below where one of our hunters took a fine nine pointer a few years ago.
I did note that there are a fair amount of white oaks that the logger left and that is additional good news. Here is a new typical west view from our western trail now.Perfect!
Seeing all this logging got me all fired up, so I headed back to the machinery barn where I fired up my ATV loaded with two chainsaws and headed back. I decided to cut a new western perimeter trail below the present one to more closely follow the boundaries there. I cut about 300 yards of trail before quitting. One more grunt session will bring me right out to the upper log landing, right where I want to be! Another five year plan finally hatched!
So, let me know what you will be doing to quell the angst of March! If I can ever leave the chainsaw alone for long enough, I'll be coyote hunting. Next week I pull the camera cards to see what winter brought. Standby!
jackzeller@myfairpoint.net
Hi Jack! What a lot of snow! Normally we have snow in March but this year we had a very short winter. Now is our hunting season over and only stalking hogs are allowed....I cant wait until 1 Oct when I can let my dogs hunt roes....Nice to see pictures of your landscape
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