four legged fury

Ever try and haul your behind out of bed when you know you should and you just don't want to?

That was me this morning.

Temperatures dropped last night to below freezing and the hope I had was for clear blue skies and frost fog. Unfortunately for that plan, it did not get cold enough to produce frost - instead, everything was dripping and damp under an overcast sky, making the landscape appear muted and quiet.

View over the field opposite our house

The sun, vainly trying to poke through the clouds

One thing worthy of note. Someone, I don't know who, but I am guessing people from the University of Waterloo or perhaps the Grand River Conservation Authority, removed a beaver dam on the creek feeding into Columbia Lake right before the winter freeze up. The dam was a new one, and was causing the creek to back up. It was not preventing water from reaching this unnatural human made "lake" but did create a new pond and deeper water which the local duck population used and would have created a spot for larger fish to flourish (Columbia "Lake" is very shallow - a water filled mud pan in fact). Somewhat ironically, all the beavers had the nerve to do was create a new pond in much the same way that people created a "lake" at Columbia Lake. Hrmmmmm.  For whatever reason, it was removed very close to freeze up which may cause the beavers some difficulties since they live on the branches they submerge in their ponds through the winter.

Here is where the dam was. Out of the picture on the right up on the creek bank was a mound of sticks and branches caked in mud that had made up the dam's structure. This is what makes me believe that the dam was removed rather than damaged naturally and washed away.

There was not much bird life today at the Lake, only a few mallards and some gulls. I was very frustrated with my camera - there was little contrast, and the focusing system refused to lock 90% of the time on moving targets. It was a tough task I was asking the camera to do actually as the gulls were almost the same colour and tone as the sky. I usually use gulls as target practice for birds in flight. I had a sum total of one keeper, and as you can see, it was not that good.

My one and only "keeper" while photographing gulls.

Finally, on the way home (finally, and naturally) the sun poked out. At the same time, I linked up with my neighbour who was walking his dog.

Here he is.

Nose to nose with a much larger dog

Meet the four legged fury.