Leaving paw prints

Usually by February, I am sick of winter. The gray. The taupe. The blah. This year, however, we had some snow (never enough) that has actually stuck around for a while. It's so nice to see white, especially in moonlight.

Animals leave tracks in snow. These were on my front walk. I am guessing it was a fox, but it's difficult to tell, as each print is a double; the animal stepped into the same paw print with its hind leg that the front leg made.

I was hoping that Burpee would send my lettuce seeds ahead of the plants I ordered, but apparently not. I'm anxious to try growing lettuce inside. I may purchase some seed locally, just to get started.

I came across the following graphic somewhere (FB?) While the idea of growing plants in water is intriguing, I have questions.

I have taken cuttings from plants and rooted them in water, but then always transplant them into soil.

Mysterious visitors

I'm not an animal tracker of any sort, but I enjoy creating stories to go with the tracks left in the snow by unidentified creatures.

This snow stitchery must be a bird, but what kind and what was it doing?

The marks in the middle look like tail-dragging, the side marks wing-dragging.  A snow dance?

Then this mark in the snow occurred all by its lonesome.

Did something (a hawk?  I've seen a couple hanging around) swoop down and snatch dinner right here?

From the house, these prints looked like they were made by a human trespasser.

But I'm guessing a squirrel was hopscotching across the yard to the bird feeders.

The past few days have been warm enough to feel springlike, but we all know that is a lie.  Yesterday seeds arrived, from Pinetree Garden Seeds and Seed Savers Exchange - that was quick!  Maybe today would be a good day to sort through leftovers and see what is still viable.

If I bake today, I am going to limit myself to dog biscuits.  Maybe.  That German Three-Grain sure was good.

And easy!