Ice fishing at a friend's cabin

Went out to a friend's cabin over the past weekend to do some ice fishing. Nothing landed this week, but got a nice lake trout the week before.

Last snowmobile ride of the season for me!

Taiga winter sunset is actually kind of nice. If you can get far enough out of town.

Northern Horizon during sunset. Panned about 90 deg clockwise from where the sun is setting.
Light scattering and "horse shoe sun path" up here really disorientates me. I've never lived
anywhere that I can't determine my cardinal points easily. Had to look at my compass!
Freaks out my inner tropical monkey.

Mosses are enjoying the melting ice and snow.
They looked like they're cheering for joy, waving green pompoms!

I like the Lichen, moss, and fungi world. They don't get as much credit or notice as plants do, though.

                                          

Green Pompom of Moss!

Not sure what this is yet.... at least until the leaves come out. Life poking out of the frozen ground.

More Moss!

I like the way the colour of the moss and it's sporophyte capsules contrasting next to the melting snow.

On the Northern Ice Roads at Sunset

More photos, went out driving on the Ice Roads for a few hours around sunset, to watch the moon and the skies. I've been doing a lot of careful walks (hobble, really) on my not quite healed ankle, so I'm usually absolutely knackered by the end of the day to type much.

Must remember to archive the photos here.

Ravens Dance

The Ravens' Dance 

Old Man North still is blowing his sharp icy breath into my Parka swaddled face. I stood there, knee-deep in feathery snow, with my hoar frosted lashes clinging stubbornly to my cheeks. I raised my head and eyes to the Dancing Cloud People, and smiled.

The Ravens are Dancing!

I hear them calling and hear their powerful wings beat the cold, chill air. Now soaring high, now swooping low; but always in a pair or in threes. Their Dance brings new life to the Earth. Their dance, it means Sister Sun is coming back, from her hut in the Cold North! With her coming, Old Man North will retreat to his icy lair.

Throck! Throck! *click*click*

Chortling Ravens express their joy in the coming of spring. In the coming of abundance and prey, and in the coming of the next nestlings. Of sleepy creatures coming out of their nests. Of Bears grazing on new grass. Of caribous, in the hundreds, if not thousands, and of fish spawning in the rivers.

Yes, I will run back home and tell the Elders. The Ravens are now Dancing! We will see Spring again! 

 

 

[This work was inspired from watching the Ravens performing their bonding rituals while I was out hobbling in the deep snow around Niven Lake]