A Walk in the Woods- EDITED!

Blogger has some new editing functions which I'm not getting along too well with quite yet- please excuse the poor layout and sending this out three times- hopefully you'll read this version (still not great, but at least better!)
 It was so good to get outside the other day and take a long family hike on a sunny afternoon, after being cooped up with coooollld weather and snow.  I've totally been nesting for most of the past week (except for while helping take care of the animals), with lots of knitting, spinning, and sewing activity,  and have been feeling grateful that I enjoy domestic and creative pursuits so much!
But still, we all needed to get outside.
 

The four of us (and Munchie!) strolled through the woods, with Paul and the kids taking along their shotguns just in case we saw any squirrels.   (Yes, Mirian actually has a pink one!)   Paul has put a lot of food on the table from our own farm these past months, and it's been wonderful trying out new game recipes and knowing that we were eating local, organic, and humanely-harvested once again!

 There were deer tracks everywhere as well, and we could see where the deer had laid down for the cold evenings and also where the turkeys were scratching around beneath the snow cover for food, especially under the oak trees where they could find acorns.

This track (above right) appeared to be from a coyote; it was good size (too big for a fox) but much smaller than those left by our livestock guardian dogs.





We were always on the lookout for "deer rubbings", places where the bucks rub their antlers on the trees, and have begun looking for antler sheds- it's early but Paul found a perfect pair about 2 weeks ago.  Normally the rubbing seems to be on our smaller, newly planted trees which then require protection via wrapping with special tape or pipe.  Paul says that the larger the tree, the larger the buck and this was a larger tree to see rubbing on than usual.

It was a great afternoon, and we all returned to the house refreshed and renewed after several grey days.




The picture below was taken nearby on the same day at Glenn's Creek, which flows beside our property in Millville where the new "Addie's Creekside Cafe" will soon be opening.

Wherever you are, I hope you're able to find some beauty in this time of year! Pin It Now!