A Peaceful Day in the Forest

I have to admit that after yesterday's experience, I headed into the forest cautiously this morning.
No moose were right by our house to greet us, thank goodness, so we could be mellow at sunrise.

While we playing, I asked Shyla to do a trick that I taught her long ago but haven't practiced much - cover your eyes with your paw.

She was so cute because, after each one, she'd sneak a peek at me for more encouragement. I cheered her on and gave her treats as rewards. (I didn't have a clicker with me - I use a clicker to initially teach tricks and then I stop using it for that trick.)

She finished one and gazed at me with her paws crossed very cutely. It made me think that teaching her to cross her paws on cue might be fun.

Then, it was time to get moving so we rode a short distance to another spot of sunrise light that I like at this time of year. I know that the sun angle is changing so fast that we have only a few days to enjoy the fun combination of glowing sunlight and shadows that this spot has.

Indeed, a spot that's well-lit at sunrise one morning is in a dark shadow at sunrise just a few days later. Moreover, the sun is getting strong enough that the snow that falls on meadows doesn't stay for long. It's the time of year that teases us with the thought that spring is almost here.

In reality, our biggest snowstorms are ahead of us. In 2001, we got about 6' of snow in one storm in late March. That was an incredible storm. When it was over, we couldn't even figure out where our vehicles were under the snow. We used ski poles to probe for them. It was too much snow for plows so a front-end loader cleared our driveway.

That was unusual. Most years, we get a series of 1-2' snow storms between March and May. Those storms play a critical role in keeping the forest healthy, preventing wild fires, and providing drinking water. But, they wear down our spirits when it feels like it's time for spring!

Back to today's ride - we never saw any moose today. I saw the tracks of the elk herd which was in the area, and I saw the tracks of the mother-calf moose pair. But, all the actual moose stayed hidden.

My eyes were peeled and my mind was on high alert for this sight but I never saw it.

Each time I look at my photos I think that moose are beautiful and goofy looking at the same time!