This winter in Eastern Canada has been passingly strange. After a wonderful plump billowing snowfall at the end of December perfect for tobogganing and picture taking an early thaw removed all the snow. What followed was 2 weeks of bitterly cold winter but without the benefit of the white stuff.The countryside looked blahhh – and was frozen with cold, chill. damp winds.
View of today’s blizzard from Warkworth home porch deck.
But today we have a big blizzard. Nothing is moving about but the drifts of snow and and steady wind whipped snow flakes. Perfect opportunity to explore our set of earlier photos. in the comfort of home. And what better shots to look at than the ones of the nifty woods along the way from Warkworth to Roseneath, beautiful in spring the woods have their own character in Winter.
Normally one would wear snowshoes around here; but the snow has been so light high boots will do. Here is the entrance way:
Fallen tree trunks block a normally open way into the woods
Just since fall the entrance into the woods has gained natural “Do Not Cross Barriers. But the ways is open and the winds down to a whisper. The windswept snow falingl from the high branches comes down in clumps and obscures the various tracks from birds and a crature with sharp front claws, wider backfeet, and a broad tail. I am thinking raccoon my friend counters with weasel or otter. But the tracks are not fresh, with many clumps of snow obscuring their path.
It is also remarkably dark inside, much more so than in Spring or Summer. The tick spruce and cedar decked in snow act as a fairly high surrounding wall. Also the overhead branches of tall maples, and oaks do not have leaves but are coated with layers snow except for the top most bramches. Also, the owner has not done a harvesting of the hardwoods in 5-6 years so the trees stand very tall.
But it is so dark inside one gets spooky chills and not from falling snow clumps. However there are openings –
and the sky is blue and cloudless. But I had hoped to do what I do in Spring and Fall – point the camera straight up and get a picture of the snow covered canopy. But between slipping an off a bolder and huge snow clump falling on the upturned camera lens [the shot simply did not work], the usual picture opportunities in this forest glade were not available.
However, what the inner glade takes away the out skirts provide.
There are a number of crannies which are protected from the wind and canopy snow clumps. Above are talons of spruce boughs.
And just a few steps away is what I had been looking for –
an oak clinging to its leaves amidst a thicket of cedar and spruce. Not what was originally hoped for [a midsized oak in the middle of the glade but it looked scrawny having lost most of its leaves] but nonetheless very satisfying.
Yes in the craggy dakness within, there were shots to be had
But I had missed the noon-hour sun which shnes shafts of light down through the openings, giving a cathedral effect.
However I discovered more entrances to the woods –
bear hard starboard here, which shall prove valuable as anothr approach to one of my favorite woods in the upcoming seasons. So in sum, there was no cathedral lights in the glade, dark and obscured runs and dells inside, muffed vertical shots, and no internal oak shots. But on the other hand, the waiting-out-the-blizzard perusal showed there were also some interest shots and some satisfying discoveries to be had.