More ice sculpturing this morning- the frozen tracks of ducks and geese forming walkways rather than flyways across the pond. At least 50 ducks are here and our 6 geese but no wood duck- did I jinx him I wonder by speaking too soon of his safety? How that works exactly, who can say, but it is something we know to be careful of and I should have. Maybe, just maybe, he will return again, with my love a beacon.

Last night under the brilliant stars, with Orion hours west of its winter apex, the horrible sound of the Fisher cat crying in the dark. He was hunting on the frozen pond I could tell, a new avenue opened for his nocturnal prowl. His call is an otherworldly howl, a nightmarish, horror film howl, at the same time that it is the piercing screech of a cat in heat, half suffering, half pleasure.

Six more weeks of this according to Phil…But the sun is out now. The sun is bright and the sun is warm.