Snow way out

The pond behind our back yard did freeze over this past week. I took this shot just before that happened. And now, of course, it looks like this again, minus the snow. In fact, on Sunday morning as Tasha and I left through the back gate, we surprised three mallard ducks sitting quietly on the water. They leapt into the air with a frenzied beating of wings, startling us as much as we startled them.

The pond, our back hedge and gate.

There was an organized hunt out back on Sunday afternoon. It must have been around 15h30 when I noticed the hunters' cars arriving. Guys with bright orange vests and shotguns started taking positions along the vineyard road. Normally this happens in the morning, but here it was in mid-afternoon. At around 17h00 I noticed one of the cars leaving, so I got Tasha ready for her walk. We got part of the way out into the vineyard and I realized that those guys weren't leaving, but changing position. I turned Tasha around and we headed back toward the house and into a neighbor's yard to finish our walk. It was then that I could hear the hunting dogs and the horns just on the other side of our house. Once Tasha and I were safely indoors, I could tell the the hunt was making its way toward us and the vineyard parcel just behind the house. Bam! Bam! Shots rang out. Then again a few minutes later. I never saw the shooters but I sure heard 'em. The hunt went on until past 18h00, and ended at sunset.

Oh well. There are only two more Sundays left in the month. And hunts on those days will not necessarily happen so close to us.