I know it’s still technically autumn, but it definitely felt like winter when I visited my spot a couple days ago. All the leaves have now disappeared from the trees, and all that remains are the needles on the Eastern white pines and the other evergreens. This allowed for greater visibility through the trees, so I could see the nearby stream and surrounding woods much more easily. The sky was a beautiful light blue, and the air was just below freezing.

The ground was coated with a couple inches of snow, adding a new level of beauty to my spot. The usual sounds of nature were absorbed by the snow, which created a quiet and serene atmosphere. I searched the snow for any signs of wild animals. There were a lot of dog pawprints, which made it a bit difficult to know if some tracks were coyotes or foxes or just dogs. However, I did find quite a few trails of tracks that I am fairly certain are from wild animals, but I’m not certain exactly which animals. Here are a couple of these trails:

I decided to venture deeper into Centennial Woods past my regular spot to see what else I could find. I walked to the stream and beyond, but I mostly just saw the white of the snow, the brown of the tree trunks, and the occasional green of the pine needles. That was until I came upon a tree with bright red berries that stood out among its surroundings. It was nice to see a pop of color in a relatively dull landscape.

Finally, I decided it was time to head back. My nose was getting cold in the crisp air, and I felt satisfied with what I had found. As I was just about to exit the woods, I suddenly saw a flash of large brown wings in front of me. My eyes followed the wings to a nearby tree, and I quickly whipped out my phone to get a picture. It was an owl! I believe it was a barred owl, but it was a bit too far away to get a clear view. I was so excited to see an owl, I couldn’t believe it! It was a truly magical sight among the frosted branches. This might have been the best visit to my spot yet.