100 Steps: Footprints

I haven’t been posting regular entries in the 100 Steps series, but this morning’s transformed world gave me a good chance for some new photos.

Last night, we had a just-right snow storm. Well, it wasn’t just right for all the people stuck crawling home on major highways at speeds that a horse could top. But this morning, ah, this morning.

We have enough snow to make the world magically different and beautiful. Enough snow to thrill the tiny children and give the big ones a chance to go sledding – and no school to interfere, since it’s Saturday. (The snow’s too dry for snowmen.) Too little snow to make it hard to walk or drive. Too fluffy snow to be hard to clear off walks – I used a broom. Just right.

And just right to leave a record of anything that wandered past since midnight –

Various creatures left tracks in the snow during the night

One of the neighborhood cats wandered by

I think these are rabbit tracks

Maybe a squirrel, but they don’t usually walk straight across open ground – so probably raccoon tracks. I think.

Footprints of the white-capped snow broomer

(Click on any picture in the gallery to see larger images.)

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100 Steps: Winter in the park

Another entry in the 100 Steps series started by Myfanwy Hart, taken in the park near my home –

There was a surprising amount of noise coming from these bushy weeds, or weedy bushes.

By approaching slowly and quietly, I was able to spot this little fellow as he caught his breath. There were lots of other similar birds sheltering or feeding, but they stayed in motion or out of sight.

A reminder of warmer days, high in the bare branches.

These plants have a very different palette from my first picture, a wintry grey-white-brown look. (And apparently they’re less attractive to small birds.)

Still, there’s nothing wrong with a few accents in red!

100 Christmas Steps

Another try at Myfanwy Hart’s 100 Steps series, with a Christmas week twist –

(I don’t usually take pictures of houses in my neighborhood, but I didn’t think people would mind having their decorations photographed!)