We had our January thaw in December, and it was lovely. Weather was ever varied, and it has been even more varied than usual. Since Christmas, temperatures have fallen and fallen far; twenty below is typical. I caught the spirit of the freeze-thaw cycle in mid-month. The bare trees are reflected in the dark water.
In the New Year, it has been cold enough to freeze my fingers even inside insulated gloves--true mitten weather. The dogs take it in stride, though they venture off the trail much less than usual.
We are in the time of long shadows and melancholy light. Here the snow has a hard crust, almost enough to bear your weight (but not quite, so progress is halting and jarring).
Now and then, a beam of light breaks through and the tops of the trees are illuminated in light that would be warm if only the dreadful cold would allow it.
However, we are nearly a month past the shortest and darkest day of the year. Brighter times will come! Meanwhile, my attitude toward the trees has changed drastically. I have seen too many co-dominant stems split a tree down the middle to think they are best left to their own devices, but now I realize that their fecklessness runs deeper. They cluster together enviously, and the result is massive uprooting in any strong wind. The new year will bring a season of vigorous culling. . . .
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