New Year brings the joy of winter and wildlife

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Winter is here and looks like it plans on staying for awhile. It has blanketed the ground with several inches of very wet heavy snow and a thick layer of ice in between, making it very treacherous to walk. And to think I complained last summer when the temperature hit 85 degrees.

We went into Sandy's Café in Pittsville the other day for breakfast and on our way home we had quite an interesting ride. Even though we senior citizens like winter and snow less each year, the snow with the sun shining on it was very spectacular.

As we were driving along, what to our surprise, we abruptly came upon a bald eagle right along the side of the road. He was perched upon a deer carcass and was munching away having his breakfast, he didn't make a move to fly until we were right beside him. He then took flight, and what a majestic bird he was.

On our way home we took Lincoln Road (we still think of it as Old 13) after we had gone for quite a spell, we saw a cock pheasant along the side of the road he too was a magnificent bird, and as we passed by he ran down into the ditch.

We continued along, and out in a field was a big flock of turkeys, just the sight of them almost gave Bob turkey fever.

According to him spring is just around the corner (or so he would like to think) and spring turkey season can't be far behind. As we turned off onto Maplewood Road five nice deer ran across in front of us and out into the field, one sort of hung back and then we saw the sixth one cross and run into the field, as the two met, they seemed to be playing tag and zigzagged until they hit the woods. (Why couldn't the deer hunters have seen them during deer season?) This was the most wildlife we had seen in a coon's age.

Some days when we are out driving we may not even see so much as a rabbit. It was particularly breathtaking, the trees were covered with hoar-frost and sparkled with what looked like a million diamonds.

Only God can make a tree, a sunset, a blue moon and a winter scene in Wisconsin.