The view out the backdoor is considerably different than it was a couple of months ago. Green is out, white is in. The leaves are dropped, gathered, and in the compost pits. The gardens are all covered in show. The hillside is shaved of plant remains to make room for sledding.The lake is frozen solid. Solid enough for snowmobilers to race around the boarders for hours on weekend afternoons. Someone has cut cross country ski tracks almost all the way around the lake. Deer, rabbits, dogs, and a variety of large and small birds have left tracks on the lake and island. Humans have, of course, left their footprints, too.
The freeway is a little noisier in the winter. No trees for sound absorption. The ice reflects the sound efficiently and the barriers across the freeway send that side's share of the noise our way, too. Evenings, though, are quieter.
