I spent two hours in a winter wonderland at Petrie the day after freezing rain and some 4-5" of snow. The trails and trees were all coated with snow. It would only have been better had it be a clear sunny day.
Coming down Tweddle Road from the Queensway...
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/a46f7fd0-cb79-4463-9376-e872e5fb8e4f_rw_1920.jpg?h=2d82a69b4d572ed3b40416efe3350f10)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/0b0576ab-885a-4ed1-a2f9-91a493b0aef4_rw_1920.jpg?h=450d35ce76d1cfc9c7444953591fdce0)
Walking the trails
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/8d72526a-b987-4248-9714-ca0dddb5a076_rw_1920.jpg?h=d59c4587b4c5513ed64ff2e668d44b87)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/10cfafa5-1c0f-4368-b300-1a6c4354f602_rw_1920.jpg?h=5a909fdd2ffea73458e0149d0de2168e)
Scenes along shoreline of Turtle Pond
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/52565ddd-2391-4103-90af-9c3c03d3e1b4_rw_1920.jpg?h=779d1ef9730ca08ac04918c82acd16e9)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/9ca44c41-963b-40dc-8d50-90628f9bb6c9_rw_1920.jpg?h=fbf3b83d2484db80005ec367557bb91e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/5cad92e9-eb3d-471c-accd-9dee0d0c0289_rw_1920.jpg?h=e92110a0c2f97c394021c0142fd6643e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/670ffe34-7954-4a93-8494-2fd503bebcb7_rw_1920.jpg?h=eb816542f722ad33e93378dc71f6c0b9)
Two muskrats were sitting on the edge of the ice halfway out in Turtle Pond chewing on reeds
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/c9c79fa2-769a-48f1-bb63-1f8375d94a32_rw_1920.jpg?h=e1086f023cb358398cb4916974b50293)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/0c7510f4-dd5e-4c64-9436-55de44545daf_rw_1200.jpg?h=51e041c72b676a0f59557e6291d2a026)
~
Based on the size of the footprint, I think this was the track of a beaver crossing the trail between Turtle Pond and the River
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/126307a3-668e-403b-8bfa-f4c430edf5c8_rw_1920.jpg?h=0fe831bb622a8846499d128fc8dfc38e)
A single red squirrel was towards the western end of the trail
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/7ff02a97-7aed-47f6-81b7-474c2d999c0c_rw_1200.jpg?h=5f35dbab54b9be3e7846981ea9ffce8d)
No need to be cautious of poison ivy....
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/0f12a48c-4dcc-4526-9c22-26feae46bfdb_rw_1920.jpg?h=56c5dfa53861f42700b3da9240c47000)
Various berries were crowned by fresh snow
Carrion-flower berries (a.k.a Coonberries)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/c1d1e617-660d-4a2f-a960-c1dbe6b311f3_rw_1920.jpg?h=84ec0369be7a414f0e16e6a7a3e559c0)
Invasive buckthorn berries
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/7352739c-ab1e-4dea-93b4-e8c21730e8ba_rw_1920.jpg?h=a62c148f8bea5ebacbb084936dec2fe5)
Highbush cranberries
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/00e831c8-fbc1-47d4-96f0-8dbf50d720a8_rw_1920.jpg?h=806e217d590f55dfb3592cc59de77c5e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/44141ca0-4990-41a0-a37a-9ecd0874352d_rw_1200.jpg?h=c1928dea3cdfa7f3cdb7d8092c2a9174)
Bittersweet
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/945bc7c5-9eda-4edf-96c3-4665f04be46d_rw_1920.jpg?h=e6af4536b515058f337cd01b48c7d211)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/727b5b60-e8bc-4273-9aa5-95a9f9f52ba3_rw_1920.jpg?h=d17981ad70b9ad685b111dfce95be442)
Other plants were endowed with snow as well
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/39f82650-619d-48b6-b683-ba73a73d56fc_rw_1920.jpg?h=feeb9e4463cd1b27f079bbc7065f3bbb)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/c7152900-f3f3-40f9-bf51-0203c70f1ba8_rw_1920.jpg?h=f9e5d134d0c6795e5857ed351e140df6)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/6e2f3619-5a71-4a8a-8f2a-4b629825829c_rw_1920.jpg?h=5d95bf6dd7f1dd694edd56a58a2f390f)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/b148883e-9ef8-4d16-952a-e0ddd89124a7_rw_1920.jpg?h=023b804013f36d4d8553ca54b9b5887e)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/cddd24a4-39f3-48f4-8648-d29c56cc2592_rw_1920.jpg?h=5e7ead8376c12e753d99869e264b6d9c)
The grasses and ferns were bent over in the snow
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/8ee1c0d3-d900-4253-a8c4-d7b6bb2d2dd1_rw_1920.jpg?h=79c37b660e06336535f1e89815a6885c)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/6ff3109b-3494-4d87-9612-74c788a9fe44_rw_1920.jpg?h=a0dda3b5a45605daae5ae3b9f4d41ae0)
The chickadees and nuthatches were looking for a handout
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/7a5ac9c8-bef8-4fd4-a1af-4851eb00d372_rw_1200.jpg?h=32d7de75ebc7eecd20f2d3932b454675)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/2728d568-2aff-4fc0-bfad-d354ac26e25f_rw_1920.jpg?h=339b93154b14da57b56d718b1dc54b03)
The cardinals were looking after themselves thank you very much
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/8816d6fc-6ffa-4526-969f-68c75643ffc2_rw_1920.jpg?h=52d912209061b022e9d5cc094beac705)
The waterfowl were being very shy
The Canada geese (infiltrated by mallards at times) would swim away as soon as they were aware of my presence on the trail.
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/5788372b-26a8-4187-9cfe-db69ce1d40e9_rw_1920.jpg?h=967abf93ffd9af0c5ef30a5cdc784467)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/bde5c470-e017-4713-a3dc-7256a70ddce3_rw_1920.jpg?h=8dc63e4551b9e8cc5e585ae490734e00)
The mallards would turn their backs on me
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/923990ab-ff05-47a7-a2e3-fddc2df2aa3b_rw_1920.jpg?h=0a7b131f24c6809e8e289fce2ed31711)
And the common golden-eyes stayed a long way out in the river and some flew off into the light snow
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/948c6f59-ad91-4562-bae9-2a70a42cdfd9_rw_1920.jpg?h=f0386ce01d1262c24e0cf69c62945665)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/5043d392-8a5f-4fc4-b69b-87a1ff108b07_rw_1200.jpg?h=b92d8da82151765ac1fe3aac314e2b1a)
Some snowflakes were caught up in two strands of spider webs.
(The photos are quite bad, but I left them because of the uniqueness)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/fb1cd048-cc78-4c92-8bf2-b7e51bff8ae6_rw_1920.jpg?h=0dc61b11f3f84c533317e0cf968cc149)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/778627cb-593b-4594-97de-9cd54fa135c7_rw_600.jpg?h=443423ad89d1082660f194346df929f0)
A few sticks caught in the ice of Muskrat Bay were very noticeable.
One reminded me of walking stick insect😊
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/4d14ef4c-24db-44e9-b0e1-77cbe32a4fd4_rw_1920.jpg?h=cb1e2b7f5b158e8e6eab8c15801c1470)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/d2c4af1a-74d5-4508-adf3-1d4efb5ffa10_rw_1920.jpg?h=e9324f69566628106dc4235f3c407612)
There were interesting ice patterns on Muskrat Bay
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/2c01b7a1-d8e9-458c-b235-ab21fd336378_rw_1920.jpg?h=b22aa30b05f96576bbf042188c29d8c7)
![](https://cdn.myportfolio.com/e657e1de-c119-4270-8e63-fcf31c0a4956/703c2f2e-80de-48e1-9e96-9965e0cd7859_rw_1920.jpg?h=56d1b7954a12b447bbcc05ad56629103)
It is still very early in the winter, so small, rippling "waves" were lapping at the shoreline on the River