In the quiet of winter, it seems like life takes a break from the bustle of summer. But life leaves signs of its presence in freshly fallen snow.
Maggie was reading the latest issue of the Wisconsin Energy Cooperative News, provided by our local electric cooperative, and came across an article about animal tracks in snow. Among the pictures were grouse tracks and wing prints. Later that day we took the dog for a walk across our hayfield. We found plenty of deer tracks, providing an indication of where they like to hop the fence to and from the surrounding woods. Amazingly, Maggie found tracks that looked like they came from the article. There was a short run of bird tracks, ending with an imprint of wings in the snow.
We studied the tracks for a while in the cold. The footprints looked like a turkey, but the wingspan of the wing print seems small for a turkey. It also appeared the bird flew in and landed, walked a short distance, and then flew off again. Turkeys like to walk rather than fly, so we wondered if it was possibly a pheasant. Regardless, it was a wonderful coincidence that we were able to find such tracks. Another few hours and the snow would have melted and obscured the tracks.
We retraced our own tracks back to the house, enjoying the view of the snow over the land and trees. The dog frolicked in the snow, leaving her own set of tracks behind.
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