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December 29th. An afternoon walk at 50 degrees, starting from the Brownstone Bridge over River Road.
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First I walked west through a rock cut with lots of icicles.
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Under bark, I found an ant queen, three workers, and a small batch of eggs.
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The foundation of a new colony in the spring.
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Nice to see some still green ferns.
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My goal was to check on the Trailing Arbutus (Epigaea repens) at the only place I know it grows along the trail.
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It's doing real well, thankfully.
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Flower buds have already formed, for blooms in April or May.
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Next, a short walk east of River Road across the Blackledge River Bridge.
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Two trees down since the recent rain and wind storms.
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Just past the first downed tree, there's a path on the left that leads to a patch of Pink Earth Lichen (Dibaeis baeomyces). The lichen is crustose grey, and the fruiting bodies are salmon pink.
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The spot also has lots of Reindeer Lichen (Cladonia rangiferina)...
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...with some Haircap Moss (Polytrichum juniperinum) mixed in.
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December 30th. At the marsh before dawn in hopes of a sunrise.
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I thought that was about it.
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One of several crows flying by.
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Some light pinks in the clouds away from the sun.
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Then things started to pick up where the sun would come up.
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Here comes the sun!
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At 60 degrees, an afternoon walk east from Cranberry Bog in East Hampton.
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The rock cut is great for winter icicles.
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A little stream of melt water.
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One of three sheep at the little barnyard near Cranberry Bog.
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