Let Go Old Man Winter...

Winter is letting go of its grip and we Northerners appreciate the arrival of Spring even more... It will take another good week  until the frost comes out of the ground but projected rains will help. In the meanwhile we will enjoy the transformation and the warmer temps to be outside as the Mud season begins...

One such winter beauty are the frozen waters behind our favorite local eatery and microbrewery, the Hideaway in Lower Chaseburg. The ice takes on a bluish hue with certain sunlight and is awesome.

Some smart person rigged up lighting to illuminate these bluffs at night and it is spectacular. Someday I will have to have my camera with me to try capture this night spectacle. But meanwhile you can appreciate its daylight magnificence as Natureman admires it as it is starting to melt. You can hear the ice creaking ...






The Chaseburg snowmobile trail leads to the Hideaway and other  watering holes in addition to traversing the town's nature path. There are years where there isn't enough snow for the annual snowmobile days but it appears the path got more use this this year...

This Friday's outing included a meandering of Chaseburg's nature path. (I don't walk fast.) For such a small town we have a great walking path. Kudos to those that made that happen!

Its asphalt path beckons walkers, runners and dogs with their owners.  There are rules that dogs be leashed and picked up after. There are even trash receptacles along with plastic bags to clean up after pets. Somebody thought of everything just like the big city.

Anyhow the path runs behind the City Community building where there is presently a very wet baseball field, (it looks more like a wading pool),  a new pavilion and playground, winding by some prairie spaces which will be attracting lots of birds, butterflies and obviously bats with all the new bat houses.

bat house additions

There are bird houses placed on trees near the path for blue birds, owls and whoever else decides to take up residence. There was an immature eagle hanging out during our last visit.

Melting snow adding to Coon Creek

The path also runs alongside  Coon Creek which at present is swelling and running fast as the melting snow from adjoining fields adds to its waters.  As mesmerizing and impressive the rush of the runoff is, this means added pollution since field chemicals and manure waste is amidst that runoff. YUCKOLA.

Huge boulder rocks have been recently dumped in various locales to restabilize the banks to keep the creek in its place. Rock work still remains to be done this spring.

We passed a group of high school guys watching their buddy throwing in his fishing line. The young fisherman claimed 7  fish but since it's still catch and release time, they had all been thrown back. He felt really good about his day's luck.

There are benches sprinkled along the way to sit, rest and admire the surroundings. This particular recycled plastic bench was donated in memory of Cactus, the town's long time 'police' (town constable) for 30 years and his wife. When he retired, his police car was parked at the edge of town to get passerbys to slow down. It worked too. Every time I spotted it as I entered town, I would check my speedometer.  Cactus even lived on a street named after him...

So the sights are changing as the remaining brown vestiges from last fall will be replaced by lush green and we that live in this part of the world and especially in the End of Rainbow Valley can't wait...

Last year's Cattails