Mather

Find a secluded little place in the sun most any warmish day in winter, and you'll see thousands upon thousands of tiny black specks. Look closer. name="valign" top > VIKI MATHER Even closer than that.

It is not an easy winter for the beaver that lives at the last of a string of little ponds nearby. Shortly after his pond froze over in early December, a part of the dam gave way. The water dropped three feet.

For the past 17 years, I have been a wilderness advocate.

A comfortable rise in temperature coincided with the full of the moon last Monday night.

I always thought the best time to go for a night ski was during the time of the full moon. For decades, that was the only time I would venture out in the night with skis afoot.

The rain changed to snow at 4 pm Thursday. I had spent all day inside doing paperwork, looking through the window now and then, and waiting for the rain to end. When it did, I put my skis on, and went out for a spin.

I keep a ladder propped up on the front of the cabin in December, so I can climb to get a better view of the growing ice. Last Sunday morning all I could see was shades of grey.

Winter is here! And it looks like it is going to be a good one! Lots of snow interspersed with cold, cold days and nights make for winter - like it used to be. We can't escape it, so we might as well learn to enjoy it.

How thick does the ice have to be to be safe? It depends. Some say you need three inches of ice to walk on. But that is assuming it is new, clear ice. This is fine for December, but there are times in April that even eight inches of ice is not safe.

The land is fully lit long before the low December sun rises over the horizon. The lake is calm, like glass. The beauty of the forest along the shoreline is reflected in the perfection of the morning stillness.