Miss Sadie, the Cowboy and I are working on our tracking skills. They are proving to be somewhat better at it than I am, but I am surprisingly good at uncovering the best treats, so we go along amiably together. We try to be observant. The woods are full of hazards.
Sometimes we find a whole Interden Highway System, paid for with assessments on all the squirrels and rabbits and mice who use it. I suspect the tolls are exacted mainly by the fox and the owl.
Not all the tracks are made by four-footed animals. Here, for example, we have the trail of the Weekend Snowshoer, a species that seems to be doing very well this winter.
Over at Barnes Park we often see the swooping turns so characteristic of the Avid XC Skier. Andi Laidlaw was kind enough to send along an example.
You cannot see the tiny trails that meander over the hollow stump, but they are there.
To each species its cozy winter den. We trailed ourselves back to the Writing Studio and Bait Shop, where the Duo had a nice nap and I spent some time taking more pictures of the ever-changing icicle.
There is no good excuse for including it in this post, particularly as I am trying to do a better job of editing. However, I have grown fond of the icicle. You have not seen the last of it.
Torch Lake Views 
P.j. grath
February 8, 2011
Keep showing us the icicle! It is glorious! And were you really out walking in the wind today, Gerry? Very brave!
Gerry
February 8, 2011
I’m glad you like the icicle, PJ! The photos came from Sunday, but we were out again today. (As were you. We keep dogs. We walk.) It wasn’t especially windy over here then. Of course we need to go out again. Hmmmm.
Karma
February 8, 2011
Your ever changing icicle is quite interesting. The majority of my interesting icicles have been chopped away along with excess snow in the hopes of preventing our ceilings from caving in.
Gerry
February 9, 2011
Very wise. This particular icicle forms at the very tip of the very deep overhang. I worry most about its propensity to make icy puddles where a person might step. One year the stalactite grew all the way to the stalagmite that had piled up beneath and I had an Ice Column. Very absorbing, watching the icicles when the other mammals are too smart to be running around outside.
kiwidutch
February 9, 2011
Icicle photos are good! I like the changing shape as it evolves… the photos taken in the forest are also good, in the first one the top half of that tree looks like it could come down at any moment!
The red pump also gives a splash of unexpected colour… good shooting!
Gerry
February 9, 2011
That tree could come down at any moment and one day it will. But not on me. I have my eye on it.
I’m glad you liked the red pump too. Andi Laidlaw is responsible for that particular piece of good shooting and I’m very taken with it.
Dawn
February 9, 2011
Such a lovely way to view winter. Loved the snowshoe photo with the red barn in the back…and of course the icicle!! Love the idea of a writing studio too…need to find me one of those that excludes little Shelties that want to hog attention. Cuz it’s all about her her her!
Gerry
February 9, 2011
Thank you. We, er, romanticize our little hideaway you know. This is how we get through the winter! The snowshoe trail actually leads away from a weekend cabin down the road from us. Pretty, isn’t it!
Nye
February 9, 2011
wow, love the icicle. The last time I took mine it was too dark, not many to practice with around here.
Gerry
February 10, 2011
Count your blessings. 🙂
Anna
February 10, 2011
What wonderful wintry captures and I love that smooth icicle!
Gerry
February 10, 2011
Thank you, Anna. I love the icicle too, although it wouldn’t bother me a bit if it melted away.
margie
February 12, 2011
The icicle is great!
Gerry
February 12, 2011
I might have known you’d like it. Bright shiny things are always a challenge. If I hang a vintage tablecloth behind it I’ll bet you’ll come paint it.
flandrumhill
February 14, 2011
What stories those tracks could tell. Their presence always adds to the mystery of the woods. There are many around here these days but they’ll soon be melting with the warmer temperatures we’re supposed to get this week.
Gerry
February 14, 2011
I think I’ll go looking for “fossil tracks”–those icy remains of footprints pressed into snow and then covered up by lighter snow. But right now I think I’d better go look for Miss Sadie.