time of hunger

while i can noticeably feel the light returning, we are only now heading into to the toughest time of year for critters here in the north. the last few weeks of january are historically the coldest weeks of our year. in the past, that could mean temperatures that never got above zero degrees F for days on end. but times are different. and this week we will have days hovering instead right around freezing (32 deg F). all these warm temps (yes, it is all relative) mean there is more moisture in the air than usual giving us picture-perfect sticky snows that cling to evergreens and regular frosts. regardless of how picturesque it is for us humans, the critters will be struggling.  the squirrel caches are now buried under four feet of snow, the turkeys have nowhere to scratch for seed. and even the deer have to work harder to push through the wet snow. this is the time of hunger.

the result. even though we won’t be braving the bitter cold this year, it is still the time of hunger fro most of the critters out there.