I was finally able to get into the woods today. Most of my ventures lately have only been on the periphery of the woods, but today I was able to scale Bradbury Mountain. On my way down, I got some nice photos. Some of the snow has melted, allowing me entrance to the woods, and even though it’s still quite deep, it has basically turned to a soft ice that is hard enough for me to skim the surface without sinking in. That was today’s goal: walk in the woods but don’t sink.
In the fall when the snow first falls, the woods are always
warmer than the towns because they stay a bit insulated from the all the
trees. However, in the approaching
spring, it’s just the opposite. The woods
stay colder than the towns, and long after the snow has disappeared from the
towns, it will still linger in the cold, wet woods. But at least it’s accessible in some
places. I get very depressed if I’m kept
away from the woods for too long.
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| Signs of spring include melting and refreezing ice. |
In this photo you see some of the massive rock formations
that are all part of Bradbury
Mountain. This shot was taken not far from the
summit. Maine itself is quite hilly and rocky with a
tremendous amount of rock pushed up from continents crashing many millions of
years ago to ice ages dragging and ripping the land apart.
While other places are beginning to see the signs of
spring: buds, grass, the return of
birds, etc., here in Maine
we are seeing signs but none so dramatic yet.
Our signs are of melted and refrozen ice formations and the sun at a
higher angle. Our signs include eagles
building nests for reproduction and water forming deep pools and streams in the
woods. It will be sometime yet before we
join the rest of the nation in what’s considered actual spring, but I can wait
because, after all, winter only comes once per year.
