Afternoon trek on Caesar Pond

Today, we went on a short sunset trek on Caesar Pond. The outdoor temp. was around 40F and the air was calm. The first thing I did was to tromp out a heart in the snow. It's tradition! What do you expect after 27 years of marriage;-)

I came across some animal prints down the trail to the pond and along the pond's edge. It looks like a came of cat and mouse!

There were a few inches of snow covering the ice, which made walking tolerable without too much slippage. I sported my YakTrax Diamond Grips on my boots to grip the ice. And, I had my bright orange Celsius Ice Escape Life Preserver with Steel Spikes. Probably overkill, but since I've got them I might as well go prepared as too many people have died on lakes this winter. The spikes are at the tips of the orange handles. If I fall through the ice, I can pull the handles apart and stab the spikes into the ice as I haul myself out. Easier said than done, I imagine. We have lots of springs on the pond, and the ice is thinner around them. I do tend to wander near the springs all season long in search of animal tracks and slide marks, so it can get a bit dicey at time.

The beaver lodge is active, and I am pleased to see that there are no traps around it this year, which of course is always subject to change.

I love the sky colors at sunset, especially when there are a few clouds present. 

The thin crescent moon will set a few hours after the sun.