is some snow on the ground, you can add a little extra fun to your hike by tracking animals off the beaten path. It’ s easy to pick up tracks in the snow. If you stay very quiet you might be rewarded with a close sighting of deer, or raccoon, or even a bobcat.
You can turn yourself into an amateur naturalist if you carry a notebook with you on these forays into the woods and fields. It’ s good for jotting down and sketching the various tracks and scat( that is animal poop) and other natural or unnatural phenomena you come across. That way, when you get back from your trek, you can cross reference all your discoveries with a field guide or the interwebs( if the satellite dish is working).
Nothing compares with the hush of the woods after a good snow fall and nothing is quite as pretty. When six or eight inches of snow falls, then it’ s time to get out the sleds and toboggans for those Brown County hills. You can also find some fairly flat trails in the county that are great for cross country skiing.
If and when the weather gets really cold for a spell, the farm ponds and smaller lakes freeze good and solid for ice skating. There is nothing like having a thermos of hot cocoa and nice warm-up fire next to the pond. For those not too steady on skates there is always ice fishing. The season here isn’ t long enough to go to the trouble of building one of those little shanties like they do up north. But maybe one of those outhouses that they race during the Abe Martin Picnic might have an off-season use.
It is always a good idea to carry a safety kit in your car for emergencies in the winter. The kit should have jumper cables, a tow strap, a first aid kit, a flashlight, flares, matches and / or a butane lighter, a blanket, and a reflective safety vest. A kit like this can certainly come in handy when you are in trouble and can also help someone else you might encounter— like me.
It also pays to monitor yourself while participating in winter activities to guard against frostbite and hypothermia. It’ s really a matter of awareness and common sense— wearing proper clothing for the weather and knowing when any part of you is too cold. Pay attention to your mother when she says it’ s time to come in.
Brown County is about as good a place to spend a winter’ s day as there is. If you do, maybe we’ ll meet each other on one of the trails in Yellowwood Forest. •
Welcome to a Happy Place!
Featuring shot glasses and Brown County souvenirs, tin signs, a wonderful selection of wind chimes including Corinthian Bells, Naked Bee lotions, bag your own stones, Ty, Melissa and Doug, yard sculptures, concrete statuary, and a great selection of gifts.
Old and Young Love this Shop!
Jackson Creek Village across from Casa Del Sol on Washington in Nashville
( 812) 988-2725
Locally built instruments and affordable student models meticulously displayed, making this little music store a destination point in Brown County
Lovingly owned and operated by Kara Barnard and Kristin Thompson musicians, instructors and instrument adoption specialists
58 E. Main Nashville, IN— Look for BANJO by courthouse
812-200-3300 • www. weedpatchmusicshop. com
Jan./ Feb. 2019 • Our Brown County 45