The weather continues to be chilly, but there are signs of a warming trend. Most of the snow has melted from the end of the driveway. The Cowboy is very muddy. This morning’s view from the bluff featured encouraging cloud patterns.
The swamp is beginning to thaw.
But wait, wait . . . who’s that????
Ahhhh.
The Swamp Creature turns out to be another of Mama Nature’s whimsical sculptures.
Cheerful little fellow, isn’t he?
Torch Lake Views 
Dawn
April 13, 2016
Pamela saw the same sky. Was pretty neat! The snow is gone here, and we are in the 50s! Maybe 70s by Sunday. I am happy with sunshine and 54. Seems like a good temp. Katie thinks we should celebrate by going to the park nonstop. Silly girl.
Gerry
April 13, 2016
I have not been to Dog Ears yet today, on account of I spent half the day on blogly housekeeping. I’d forgotten how time-consuming blog management can be.
We are looking forward to some fine weather, too – and not a moment too soon.
Karma
April 13, 2016
When I read the teaser for this blog post in my email I thoroughly expected for a muddy Cowboy to be the aforementioned benevolent swamp creature. Although this did not turn out to be the case, I imagine I’m not too far removed from being correct!
Gerry
April 13, 2016
The Cowboy is both muddy and benevolent, but I did not allow him off-leash in the swamp, no indeed.
shoreacres
April 13, 2016
Are those red branches surrounding the creature a species of dogwood, by any chance? I always had thought of dogwood as only our East Texas tree, but the last time I was in Minnesota, I cut some branches in a ditch to bring home, and they told me they were red dogwood. Pretty, whatever they are.
Gerry
April 13, 2016
We do have red osier dogwood Around Here. People have pointed it out to me before, and named it, too–naturally I can’t remember much about it, but when I see stems like this I always wonder if that’s what they are. I will keep an eye on them to see what they look like when they’re awake. They are pretty, aren’t they!
Martha J
April 13, 2016
I thought you had found whatever spooked the doggies the other night! Guess not.
Gerry
April 13, 2016
Nope. That Swamp Creature seems to have retreated for the moment. But Miss Sadie, the Cowboy and I aren’t walking past the swamp after dark anymore. Not by ourselves anyway.
tootlepedal
April 13, 2016
Great creature. Well worth a second look.
Gerry
April 13, 2016
Mama Nature at her best.
WOL
April 13, 2016
Those clouds in the first picture always remind me of the ripple patterns in a sandy stream-bed. Looks like your swamp has a stump-wort. (like a worry-wort only stumpy).
Gerry
April 13, 2016
That is exactly what the clouds looked like! I knew they reminded me of something.
I must look up stump-worts. I am a worry-wort, or wart, or however one spells it, and I am short, but I like to think of myself as not-stumpy.
Martha
April 13, 2016
Petrified creature. Must have seen something one night that scared it stiff.
Gerry
April 13, 2016
I believe you are correct.
P.j. grath
April 14, 2016
Cute creature, indeed, but what I want to know is, what direction were you facing to photograph those cloud patterns? I got something similar looking east. If you were looking west… well, wow.
Gerry
April 14, 2016
I was facing west! And I saw your photo, too–I think on FB–and assumed we were both looking at the same part of the sky. Now this is very interesting. Wow indeed.
Kathy
April 16, 2016
He’s great! I love those kinds of creatures, the ones that tickle our imaginations with all their possibilities. Great that much of your snow has melted–ours has, too. Today it’s almost 70 degrees so it must be even warmer down in your neck of the woods.
Gerry
April 16, 2016
About the same here this weekend, bless its heart. We are pathetically glad to see bare ground and sunshine. The dogs are out on the deck/playpen and I have left the front door open. Satisfactory.
Craig Smith
April 19, 2016
Makes me think of a Hayao Miyazaki anime…
Gerry
April 19, 2016
Naturally I had to go look for an example, and found this enchanting discussion of Miyazaki and his work..