The woods were incredibly beautiful...Mother Nature surely has been generous with snow. Heard a few birds, at the O'Loughlin property but saw no other evidence of animals.

Chipmunk prints? Very tiny.

Not easy walking today as the snow had hardened up considerably after the warm temperature and rain of yesterday followed by freezing temperatures last night. The ground was quite muddy in the areas free of snow. Happy New Year to all!

What a day to be outside....sun and above 40! Snow was melting and out at Mable Reynolds there were an amazing amount of animal tracks ranging from large ones to these small ones. Happy New Year to all!

Christmas vacation is great. I can walk the trails before it is getting dark. We saw signs of a squirrel hunter today at Guppy Farm. People do hunt this area all year round. The waterfall in winter.

We found lots of flocks of robins today scattered around pockets of water seeping up in spots on the O'Loghlin hillside. They and the deer had been scratching in the wet leaves in these areas.

Finally had time today to get back on conservation area lands. Although I've been told not to worry about hunters on the properties I avoid walking in the woods during deer season.

The snow had been packed down in a nice walking trail by snowshoes at the O'Loughlin property. The big hemlocks blocked some of the wind we would've felt walking up on the west facing ridge at the federal farm. Much rabbit activity was noted under rose and berry bushes. Nice to be in the woods again.