A White-Winged Crossbill makes a landing.
Willow and I were up into the mountains once work was complete.
The day with bright sunshine reached 10°c. The snow, in the valley bottom, is melting with nowhere to go. Big puddles reflect the blue sky. Soon the frost will come out of the ground and the water will be absorbed where it can do some good.
Sun halo. Caused by ice crystals in the air.
Willow and I walked a frozen snowmobile path into the mountains. The birds, numerous, chirped in unison, but most refused to be seen. It’s hard to consider yourself a smart animal in their company, under the spruce, rock and snow while they rule from above, laughing at our plight nature inflicted.
A Pine Siskin, responsible for the trees going ‘zzzweeeet’!
Once off the path I sunk up to my knee. I remembered being young, setting off in the morning in the cold, before the sun cleared the mountains, walking easy on top of the snow, only to find the same snow soft once the afternoon took over, and having to slog back slowly home, taking twice the time for the same distance.
Colour among the buds.
I kept the windows open on the ride home listening for song.
A couple of Crossbills commission last years’ copious cone crop.
Very fine morning.
Palliser Pass 
Jim R
Saturday was a beautiful day. The snow cover was about all melted except for piles left in places by plows. Last night we got a surprise 2” of new snow. It was quite pretty as it stuck to everything. Today it melted quickly. The sun in warm.
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mountaincoward
I actually have a method of walking so I can stay on top of fairly soft snow most of the time (although sometimes I break through and eventually it gets so soft even I sink through) – a friend of mine told me I walk like a fairy last time he saw me do it! 😉
So, do you have a kind of permafrost there that the ground stays hard until a certain time of year and doesn’t allow any permeation of meltwater?
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underswansea
Hi Carol, you will have to teach me the walk. I am like a bull moose with skinny legs busting through to my knee.
The frost stays in the ground until mid April sometimes. During that time the water has no where to go and we have to watch for flooding.
Take care.
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Julie@frogpondfarm
Hey Bob ..a very fine morning indeed! The last shot is super … 🙂
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underswansea
Thank you Julie! I am planting spinach today. I hope you are putting the preserving skills Bill taught you to good use. Take care. Bob
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Julie@frogpondfarm
Ha ha I sure am! Yesterday was all about chillies 😊
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