It’s been really cold here over the past few days, and last Friday we received another one of those all day and into the night snowstorms. This one lasted about twenty hours or so, and did not deposit too much of the white stuff; maybe four inches.

There’s an old saw in New England: “If you don’t like the weather, wait a while. It’ll change.” This adage is heard in other parts of the US, but I will attest that here at 45°N in the Northeast Kingdom, it’s an accurate statement.

Saturday morning supported this saying, as it dawned crisp and bright. The blue sky was so sharp, and the air so clear. It was three degrees above zero when I went out to start cleaning up the snow. But these conditions, combined with the fresh snow made everything look like a picture postcard of Winter in the North Country.

While clearing the driveway, I noticed fresh animal tracks that started down on the pond, came up over the stairway into the backyard and then around to the garden area. I followed them for a bit until they crossed the road and continued north towards my neighbor’s house.

I think it was a fox, but I’m unsure. The odds favor it though, the only wild animals that aren’t napping right now are coyotes and deer, and these tracks don’t match either. I’ve seen some magnificent examples of foxes many times around here.

As for the weather, it’s changed again. Today started with sleet, changed to snow, then back to sleet before pausing. I do hope the snow starts up again- a few inches more is needed before breaking out the snowshoes.