New Hampshire Nature Notes
by Eric Orff

Ghosts of winter are sweeping towards me.

Thursday 12/16/2004

As I write this, the Suncook River within my view, has changed dramatically within the last three days. The single digit temperatures of the last two nights have transformed the river into a column of ghastly winter ghosts, that chill even my soul, as I stare westward. Yesterday's gray slushy spots of ice have been transformed into a steady river-choked column of cold. Almost like a summer's day turning from a bright day with puffy white clouds to a dark and sinister stormy evening, even with the sun soaking the brim of the river.

As always, probably in a few minutes, the river's personality will change once the sun has brightened its disposition. That is what I love so much about a river, it does have a personality, which changes constantly. Just a splash of sun can turn its mood. Although today I think it would take much more to change my opinion of my friend. Three or four hundred yards of slushy gray ghosts steadily moves toward me, then sharply turns into a 90 degree turn to the south and disappears, less than a hundred yards from my keyboard. Just three or four minutes submerged into that slushy gray stew would render my hands useless to type, I think. It sends a shiver up my spine!

As always I try to make at least one observation a day that is new to me. That is, I try to learn something new each day by my own observations. Yesterday I discovered that the ground was frozen solid here. Even a hard kick to break the surface of the soil over the tulip bed on the south side of my foundation didn't manage a dent. It is rock solid and my stay that way until spring. It was just Saturday that I moved a couple of slate stones out back and saw a few worms nestled under them. Winter's clutches has grabbed us in just a couple of days.