We have managed to make it through the strange winter of 2022-2023 so far. The range of temperatures have been wide and varied, but not too different then last year or so. As such, it still gets to be disconcerting for a day reaching 56F and then a couple days later it is 13F at noon. The more surprising attribute has been the lack of snowfall. That is, not a big difference in the amount of precipitation but in the basic liquidity, as it were. The amount of rain and almost-snow has been most noteworthy. In the middle of February, we seem to be in the middle of what Mainers call, “Mud Season.”

On mud pond in the Woodbury bird sanctuary last week, the lily pad congregation enjoyed an early fall day.