E Hill Andover Feb 0014

Although winter is still very much in evidence in Vermont, by late February signs of a future Spring begin to emerge. The most obvious is the maple syrup producers are out readying their sugar bushes and will soon begin to collect sap. For me the very first signs are elongating tree buds and the bark of willow branches. If one looks closely the trees begin to look "fuzzy", at least they do to me as the leaf buds elongate in preparation for leafing out in early May. The fine branches of the Willow tree always have a yellow tint to them and in Vermont are easily spotted among the gray barked oaks and maples. But as late February arrives the yellow color deepens, again indicating to me that Spring is around the corner. Sunday I drove along East Hill in Andover and spied a cabin on a small frozen pond. Two willow trees are obvious above and to the left of the cabin and the other trees are (in my terms) "fuzzed". Nikkor 17-55mm@38mm, f8, 1/200 sec, ISO 200. PS. I think this is another candidate for the Currier & Ives treatment.