Pine Street Woods Saturday Morning

Mollie and I started the morning a little late. We wanted to visit the chimes again, or at least I did. Mollie is happy anywhere there are woods and fresh snow.

We came up a different route this morning from the highway, up a steep climb; one set of tracks from the day before ahead of us. As we headed along the ridge, Mollie went full powder-hound and sprinted her low body down the ridge through clouds of powder joyously erupting in her wake.

In one section of Pine Street Woods the landowner who lets us recreate on his hillside has put artwork along the path. One such work is a set of windchimes set on the edge of a gentle ridge next to the trail. I am hardly ever aware of them as I approach until I am right upon them. Their sound is mellow intermittent and somewhat mournful. They strike the right tone, for me at least.

Last summer Mollie and I walked this section around daybreak and we were listening to gentle tones of the chimes when a group of about four deer bolted upright and sprinted away. Neither of us had seen them, nestled as they were for the night, below the chimes. We imagined they found the sounds a comfort in the dark night.

I made a short video of the snow falling and the chimes sounding. Click to enlarge to full screen and turn on sound if you are able, to get the full effect.

I packed up the gear and we got ready to continue our walk. I could hear some small bird pecking at the tree and found a red breasted nuthatch.

Further on some coal tits alit in a tree just beside me. They can be fearless and gregarious birds on their rounds inspecting bark for bugs and eggs.

We hiked back up the ridge and down again into the valley and walked the field home. The aspen stood on the edge of the field white in the morning sun.

A frozen pond made for some small studies.