twice as ice

After six years of living in the south, you've never seen anyone more ready for some real winter weather.  You can imagine how I felt when I heard the brittle tapping of ice on the roof last week. 

Alas, it was gone within a few hours, but it was great to crunch through a field and admire the view.

Call me crazy, but I have missed these scenes:

There's a Danish word called hygge that translates roughly into "winter cozy and contentment."  It's apparently become a big deal in the U.S. lately, but I can safely say that I've been hygge-ing for as long as I can remember.  Flannel pjs and sheets, homemade quilts and hand-knitted sweaters, hot water bottles, winter baking (bread!), cozy fires, candles, seasonal fabrics, knitting in my lap...the colder it is outside, the more delightful it is to be inside.  Living in a three-season climate made me feel so out of sorts, so I am loving everything about the cold so far, being back home again in Indiana. 

After the ice melt, Borga was ready to get back to business.

I was pleased to spot this female downy woodpecker.  The males have a red patch on their heads, so it's easy to tell the difference.   See how she's using her tail to brace against the tree for support? 

Speaking of birds, I found an old warbling vireo nest on the same hike.

Warbling vireos are one of the many small, dull-colored birds that you probably haven't seen but have heard a thousand times in the woods.  "Fresh as apples and as sweet as apple blossoms comes that dear, homely song from the willows," said William Dawson, early ornithologist, while birder Pete Dunne had a more colorful observation:  "[It] sounds like a happy drunk making a conversational point at a party."  That makes me smile!

I also saw a fairly large tree burl.

This deformation is caused when the tree experiences some sort of stress...fungus, insect incursion, etc.  It doesn't really hurt the tree...I think it's rather like a scab.  They can take decades to reach their full size, and some are incredibly enormous...in coastal redwoods, burls can grow up to 26 feet!  Burl wood is prized for its odd, twisty patterns and has been made into jewelry, furniture, and sculpture. 

I'm seeing a lot more dried seed heads.  I think they're so pretty.

I love how I see something new on every hike.  We're headed out again in a few hours, to get in some miles before a big Thanksgiving meal with friends.

Have a great day!