Winter in the Chilcotin Forest

The second day of the second month of the year.

It's a beautiful sunny day today on the Chilcotin Plateau. We've been seeing the tracks and resting places of our resident winter moose for a few weeks now without catching sight of her, until this morning.

We spotted her from the kitchen window in one of her favourite grazing spots, just across the creek where the willow grazing is good.

David got some great video of her which I hope he'll post on Facebook in the next day or two.  She appears healthy and relaxed. She may have been born here.

We have been enjoying our resident winter birds as well.  The chickadees and pine siskins, our three gray jays, the solitary blue jay we call Sammy, as well as those majestic predator birds like the shrike and the Northern Hawk Owl.  We have all the regular winter critters; squirrels and rabbits and weasels and coyotes, and foxes. For 16 years now we've witnessed and photographed our birds and wildlife through every season.  It's been an incredible experience to see them return and depart, to see the increase or decrease in their numbers each year.   And while we provide safe sanctuary for all our birds and wildlife; this is a tiny corner of their world.  We are always sad to see them move on and wish them godspeed on their journeys.

We have at least two more months of winter here in the Chilcotin Forest, but on a sunny winter's day like today, spring whispers in our ears teasing us into thinking it must be just around the corner. 

Here are some pics from our walkabout this morning

Life is good.  We count our blessings every day! 

We are enjoying the pristine beauty of winter (how could we not), and we look forward to Spring, trying not to wish this quiet season away.

April on these 48 acres.

K.  I changed my mind.  I can't quit our Homestone blog.  :)  I just can't.  Especially at this time of year when there is so much beauty to record and share.

And so ... I'll continue on with our Warmth of Wood Blog and this 'home on the meadow blog' with perhaps a little less frequency.  

While it is now the second of May ~ I want to share some pics from April on the meadow.

This is such a spectacular time of year.  The arrival of spring.

 we pressed our little flat bottom boat into service to enjoy

 our naturally flooded meadow ~ which gives us a shallow lake for about a month this time of year.

  

 A wonderful and very different way to explore these 48 acres.

Mr Beaver doing what beavers do

  and some forest floor pics

  

                         

 Life is good.  We are so blessed ~ and ever thankful.

Soon, some 'May on the Meadow' pics.

and a quick moment with one of our late April arrivals.

January 2016 ~ a wintry world

Arriving home from a trip to town any day is a treat.  We especially enjoy driving the last 7 km which is basically our own road. David plows it and looks after it and keeps it open in the winter months.
These pics are from that 7 km drive and then arriving through our gate and down the last stretch of driveway to our home sweet home.
It's a beautiful drive, regardless of the season but I'm pretty partial to these frosty winter days.  I'm guessing we have about 20 inches of snow right now and we will see more, there's no doubt.  We're thankful for it too ~ us and the trees and the forest floor and all the critters who rely on having four distinct seasons.

We hope you are also enjoying the kind of January you like best...
Till later.  Thank you ~ as always for dropping by.

2015 drawing to a close

 A Winter Walk about . . . 

And I want to share two of David's recent creations;

the first, a Hawaiian Koa Wood Ring with an inlaid cross of Maple, and a figured Bethlehem Olive Wood Ring with a gentle taper.

It's wonderland time on the meadow again.

 And we are so very thankful.

For our solstice celebration, Vincent built a beautiful bonfire and the three of us and all our spirit friends enjoyed it's warmth and welcomed back the light.

Wishing all our family and friends (and friends not yet met) 

a peaceful and joyful transition into 2016.