Ice & Heart-Melting Moments

Last week, we had a couple of very mild days. The snow and ice of the previous weeks were melting quickly and despite the high winds, it was a very lovely day. I would have loved it if you could have accompanied me on this walk. Join me now, won't you?

The thawing pond creates a backdrop of puddled whirls and swirls for this partial tree limb. The piece was lodged in the ice throughout the cold months. I wonder who was gnawing at the bark recently to expose the fresh wood.

Looking up, I see one of my favourite birds - the Northern mockingbird. They generally seem quite bold and curious, and they rarely shy away from the camera. In spite of that, this guy only stuck around long enough for me to get one shot. Thank you, my feathered friend.

The dam at the end of the pond could be heard long before it was visible. The waters were raging as the ice melted. It's difficult to tell that in a still image, I know but that water was moving rapidly. A sure sign of a long-anticipated, approaching spring.

Walking along, I heard a half-friendly, half-warning WOOF. This sweetie kept on barking at me from behind the fence, until I spoke to him. Then, up he jumped to get a good look at me. We chatted with one another for a bit, and then I continued on my way. As soon as I turned my back, he resumed barking, just to prove to his people that he really was being a good watchdog.

The day began to cloud over, and all you could see of the blue sky was showing through this small hole in the clouds. The sky, clouds and bare tree limbs reflected nicely in this bubbly puddle which had been biding its time as a patch of ice the previous day.

As always, the squirrels awaited their treats. This guy came and took a peanut right out of my hand. He showed his appreciation by kindly obliging me with a handsome pose before making his way up to a branch to enjoy his snack.

We've since had more snow and some very cold weather come though but I'm grateful for the springlike day, and for the ice-melting and heart-melting scenes I encountered. Thanks for joining me.