We have been encased in a bank of thick fog all day. I’m talking real fog here, and not the typical ice fog of this time of year. Walking out in the Back 40 was like walking through a thick mist, which is kind of a surreal experience in Interior Alaska in December.

I was surprised to find some open water at one end of the pond this morning. The spot was the last to freeze this fall, and there had been an area of wet mush under the snow that had been trying to catch up with the rest of the pond until recently. I came across some little paw prints in the snow that led back to the area of open water, and figured they must have been muskrat. I could see a muskrat pushup further down the shore in the reeds. I see muskrats all summer long, and flush them from time to time on my walks, as they move from puddle to puddle before the puddles dry up. I’m not really sure where this one was going, but it was a warm day, and perfect for a stroll through the marshland.

I haven’t had a fire in the woodstove since Friday, when I came home from work to an 85 degree cabin. I’m not sure how long this little warm spell is suppose to last, but I’m sure enjoying it while it’s here.