More snow, hungry critters, and keeping busy

 March 29, 2026

It has been a week of more accumulating snow, with a sunny day here and there, but with temperatures not too conducive to melting this white stuff much. The morning of the 26th. Another overnight skiff of snow.

Facing east, looking up the road, light from the rising sun beginning to hi-light the snow laden trees.

What to do, what to do... Well, how about a cup of Chaga tea and a cookie...or a muffin?

Or, how about some crafting?

I just built a new project bag with a drawstring top, and used some of the fancy stitches on my sewing machine for the top stitching. (You might have to biggify to see them.) It is very roomy inside and has lots of pockets around the perimeter. 

The woodshed, with it's creeping glacier of melting/refreezing snow, is now officially, totally half empty...or is that half full? 

These wood piles are verboten until next fall, but there is a large pile of rounds waiting to be split and piled, enough to fill the space, and then some.

On one of my daily walks, this big spruce tree drew my attention. What is with all the blunt ends on the branches?

A little closer look.

Well, someone is getting very hungry and doing a lot of nibbling! This is what the branch ends should look like, buds ready for spring.

Looking around, I see where the culprit has struck again.

That is an icicle of maple sap. A critter, probably a red squirrel, has supplemented his meal of greens with some maple sap, nipping the branch to get a drink of sweet water. Overnight the drips have frozen into an icicle. 

So, on the gardening front...no, not here....

In here, peppers sprouts are just starting to show themselves, geraniums are ready for pot up-sizing, and very soon tomato seeds will be planted. 

Thankfully, there are some signs of advancement of the season. 

Ground water and melt water is seeping into the pond, and the level is slowly rising. The turtle log, grounded and encased in ice is now buried and totally invisible under the layers of ice and snow that are gradually lifting the water level. 

Here's hoping that the water level will be right to the brim once everything melts.