tree i.d.

I forgot:
London plane tree and
Ginko

Neither of them are native to this continent, much less this area, but I know them well from my 4 1/2 years in NY.  I was reminded of this just today, while walking back to Dartmouth from the Co-op; I smelled the unmistakable odor of ginko fruit.  Why someone would purposefully plant a female ginko on their property is beyond me . . .

Also, trees I know from Vermont, but which I forgot:
White cedar
Staghorn sumac
Hornbeam (just found one on the property last week)
Winged euonymous
Red pine

I won't include the berries; suffice it to say I know them well (which reminds me - I need a pair of ripstop trousers for the summer . . . ).

Snowshoeing adventure

Yesterday I took advantage of near-perfect snowshoeing conditions, and was rewarded by what were almost certainly the rutted tracks of a black bear, a perfect view of Mt. Killington, and best of all, lynx tracks.  Lynx!  It is spooky how large their tracks are; they look jut like the prints of a domesticated cat, except that one cat's whole foot could fit inside the print of a single lynx toe.

It was transporting.  And then, on the way home, I saw a perfect coyote-print.  It was in the soft snow that had fallen on top of the hard crust.  Wish I'd had my camera.

I'm amazed that lynx have come this far south - it is one shy cat.  I guess it bodes well for their population!

My life is so full.