Photographs by Frank

27 March 2015

Spring Thaw — Signs of the Times

Filed under: Early Spring,Landscapes,Monadnock Region — Tags: , — Frank @ 12:00 PM

Spring is trying its damnedest to sprung.

These days, the daytime highs are mostly above freezing and we are even getting a few nights with temperatures just above freezing… other nights the low temperatures are in the teens. This means that the sap is running and there are signs of activity around the local sugar shacks.

There is still much snow on the ground. However, it is rapidly receding, especially on the south facing surfaces. The lakes and ponds are still well iced over but puddles of water (or hard, clear ice depending on the temperature) have appeared on top of the old crusty snow.

Along the roads, there are also (literally) signs of spring.

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13 March 2015

Town Meeting Day

Filed under: Early Spring,Landscapes,Monadnock Region — Tags: — Frank @ 12:00 PM

Mid-March… A time of great change in southern NH.

The local birds, as they begin the mating season, are much more vocal than they were only a week or two ago. A few early robins have appeared.

And, the landscape is beginning to thaw… very slowly!

With the thaw, glacial erratics and stone walls begin to throw off their winter blankets of snow*. The thaw also brings with it maple and mud seasons as well as town meeting.

Yesterday was Town Meeting day in Antrim. I took a walk along Brimstone Corner Road yesterday afternoon. I went a little earlier than I might of if I had not needed to get to town meeting. Thus, the light was not perfect.

Signs of the early spring were every where… especially under foot!

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* There is no sign of ground yet… except where Joan shoveled the snow off the patch of the garden where the peas will be planted in a week or two. The peas don’t get started inside. However, there has been much recent activity (and mud) in our mudroom as many other seeds have been sown in small plastic chambers. Another sure sign of early spring around here!!!

 

1 March 2015

Snowshoe Treks

Filed under: Landscapes,Monadnock Region,Winter — Tags: , — Frank @ 10:00 PM

Joan and I try to get out on our snow shoes as often as possible. We don’t make it out every day, but I would guess we make it out three of every five days. Sometimes we go together, other times we head out independently.

Last Thursday, we headed out independently but more-or-less in the same direction… down to the lake. The skies were heavily overcast and thus the lighting was pretty flat.

It had been three or four days since the last significant snow. Thus, the tracks of the local fauna were beginning to accumulate again. It is always fascinating to see evidence of passing of various animals.

One knows that animals are traveling through the landscape all year long but the snow cover allows one to see this in great detail.

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On Sunday, we headed out together. We drove the mile down to the bridge, buckled on the snow shoes and headed up Hattie Brown Road.

The show shoeing was easy as a snowmobile had packed down a nice trail the entire way; there was also ski tracks in the trail. However, we did not encounter anyone else in the three hours we were out.

The sky was a cloudless azure and thus, as the afternoon progressed, conditions were perfect for adding to my “Shadow Play” series.

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