Wednesday Walk

It's been hard to find a day when the weather cooperated for a walk. 

Last Friday there was a break between storms.  And while it was very cold, the sky was blue.

I walked down to my sister's dahlia garden to refill the bird feeder there before the weekend's storms.

The garden is hibernating and dreaming of spring.

The smallest of the seasonal creeks burbled along.

My father spent several days picking up after our end of December ice storm.

Now his mini woodpiles are covered with snow.

The red branches of the Osier Dogwood makes a statement this time of year.

I found this interesting set of tracks near the Big Creek.

Small front feet... 

...and large back feet.  I think it was a bob-cat.

The pattern and distance between the tracks looks right to me.

The bright blue of a winter's sky.

The brush along the Big Creek. 

This is near where the Pacific Wren was hard at work.

I also found several sets of deer tracks.

The snow lingered in the shade.

The damage from earlier storms was readily apparent.

As we've not gotten above freezing for several days, the water along the edges of the creeks started to freeze.

Brrrr!

I'll bet the water is beyond invigorating! 

Douglas fir cones and snow.

Another cat track I think.

My favorite though are the California Quail tracks.

They look like they've been skiing.

And I feel like I've been skiing - it's time to go back inside and get warmed up.