hibernal

November second, and already twenty-two inches of snow has fallen on Anchorage.  Today we broke trail through somewhat compressed snow that was nearly to our knees so we could wander through a favorite patch of wilderness.  I joked that I was the lead bison as I made my way forward, imagining how tiring it must be to shovel snow from side to side with a heavy head just to get to something edible.  I am certain that my perseverance and stamina would cease long before a bison's would.  

There are no free-roaming wild bison in Anchorage, but we did see plenty of tracks made by much smaller critters.  Mice?  Voles?  Squirrels?  A fox?  We also saw a small spider making its way across the snow.  A few Black-billed Magpies were nearby so we encouraged the little arachnid to make haste lest it become a snack.  Hope it reached its destination safely.

 

We were glad to have mild conditions (32 F with a light breeze) to enjoy the wintry sky and landscape.