We have turned the corner on winter

This winter has been easy on the woodpile and wildlife

Everyone is realizing that the deepest part of winter is behind us and we have only had a few days and nights of bitter cold. December, January and February are the months that we can experience -40 C cold, with or without the windchill. There is only February left now and here in Nolalu I think we have only had a couple of nights in the -30s. Incredibly, January saw nightime temperatures in the single negatives and daytime highs just below freezing.
The forecast for the next two weeks shows cooler weather but still remarkably warm for this time of year.
On the downside, it has been cloudy most of the time. That has been hard on those folks relying on solar. We have friends who live off the grid and they report using their generator to charge their batteries a record number of times.
Incidentally, they also have exciting animal news. They have seen wolverine tracks near their home which is in a lightly-inhabited area southwest of Thunder Bay, almost on the Minnesota border.
That is the farthest south I have heard of a wolverine in Northwestern Ontario. These largest members of the weasel family are making a comeback in the province, starting in the area around and north of Red Lake. They cover immense territories. I wouldn't be surprised to next hear the same animal has been spotted half-way to Duluth, Minn.