Old Man Winter sure has his icy grip on the Finger Lakes region this year. Our temperatures were zero degrees again this morning but with some welcome blue skies. Unless you are a skier or an ice fisherman, winter starts to take its toll on the human spirit. There’s a restlessness that shows up in humans this time of year. I see it the Facebook postings of my friends as they start to post pictures of last year’s summer flowers or perhaps their vacation last summer.
But there is something to be said for just going outside in the cold and going for a walk. It clears your sinuses and sharpens your mind. There is a calmness and peacefulness that overcomes you when you walk down a trail that hasn’t been walked on since the last week’s snow.
Even though the outlet of Canandaigua Lake is frozen over, the ice cold water keeps moving under the ice, making its way to the Eire Canal at Lyons, NY. At Shortsville, NY, the water tumbles over the old dam at Littleville and then down a series of rapids. The water channel has narrowed up because of the ice buildup along the edge of the stream, but out in the center of the stream, the water is moving much too fast to freeze over.
Nothing stirs in the woods as it is too cold for movement. I will revisit this place when spring comes and the birds return to the woods. Until then, keep in tune with Mother Nature as she prepares for yet another spring, even as Old Man Winter sleeps!
