Playtime!

 Strike while the iron is hot, they say. It wasn't exactly hot, but it definitely was time to make tracks.

Visit #1348, Sunday 30 January 22, 8:25-10:10AM, 3.0 miles, 0.0lbs. of litter.

Temps in the low teens and sunny, a day after a blizzard dumped 12" on snow on Meriden.

I took advantage of Saturday's snowstorm and devoted Sunday to just play by breaking out the snowshoes.

While I certainly arrived early at the park considering the low temps, I figured I wouldn't be the only one to treat myself to virgin snow.

But where were all the fun hogs? I arrived to an empty parking lot...

Like a good student I did all my homework (snow shoveling) after the storm abated Saturday afternoon so I was free to play on Sunday morning.

As I arrived at the park the only other creatures enjoying the rising sun were the ducks and the pigeons. Ducks, pigeons, and me; small brains think alike.

And yes; despite the cold temps, I could feel the sun's radiant energy warming my cheeks. Spring is out there, lurking in the bushes.

As I started my snowshoe hike I noticed the gate at the south end of the Soap Box Derby Track has been breeched. I'm assuming it was nefarious work by the snowmobilers as they left their footprints. I could not find the chain or the lock. The truck tracks puzzled me, and the lock at the opposite end of the road was not broken so there's no explanation for the truck tire tracks.

I was going to snowshoe off-trail but changed my mind, realizing I should inspect the trails for fallen trees and branches, considering yesterday's blizzard was accompanied by strong winds. While I didn't find much, I did find something on the trail behind the water tank, which I removed.

The seriously high winds stripped away any snow accumulation at the south end of Merimere Reservoir.

Impressive.

At the Halfway House is where I felt the sun's warmth. It was a simple pleasure.

When I returned to the parking lot, other people were just starting to gather for a snowshoe outing. It was their time to play.