A big gap again – once more I have been incredibly busy – this time working with an editor to fine-tune the manuscript for Ginty’s Ghost (due out this fall.)  I have an outdated computer and our programs were not compatible so this made an enormous amount of extra work.  The editing was supposed to have been done in January but the editor was 7 weeks late – then we had the program problem – and of course the publisher wanted it last week so it was a terrible scramble to get it done.  Normally I enjoy the editing process but not this time.

At first it seemed as though the snow was going to melt away.  The trails thawed on the sunny side and stayed frozen on the shady side so they all became very lopsided and difficult to walk on.

But almost every day for quite a while, we have had more snow.

One morning at sunrise, we had a dramatic burst of light.

Very soon it was pouring with rain – after several hours it turned to snow.  It was wet and heavy and stuck on the trees.  It was the prettiest snow we’d had all winter.

There had been quite a bit of bare ground on sunnier slopes. but this new snow covered everything again.  The birds were frantic for food.  Most of the redpolls have headed north, but there are now about 20 juncos and about 50 redwing blackbirds.  They are voracious eaters.

One morning the sky was clear.  It was -14C.  Nogwhon was a rich orange.

Finger Peak floated disembodied above a layer of fog.

But by afternoon, the storm clouds were piling up again.