Snow Day Ditherings
The BIG snow storm ended during the night, so this day is brilliant and cold, the blinding sunlight glimmering off the mounds of fresh, clean snow that looks like tiny diamonds have been sprinkled by some playful hand. There have been birds this morning--two different kinds of woodpecker, a female Cardinal, some tiny finches, and a tufted titmouse. They have formed an unconscious partnership: the woodpeckers land on the narrow ledge of the feeder and help themselves while raining seed down to the ground where the little birds snatch it. There has been a larger beast, too--a raccoon, maybe, or a groundhog. Its messy footprints track along the side of the house to the leftover hulls of birdseed, then across the patio and up the hill into the woods. I can't tell because the footprints are submerged and blurred. It looks like a chubby belly was dragging along. Though the wind has calmed, occasional large puffs of snow drop from the trees--usually signaling the presence of a