1897 
November 20 
• 
The whole country was beautiful beyond descrip¬ 
tion in its robe of spotless white. The effect of the snow 
on the trees wa.s unusual. They were not loaded down with 
masses of snow, as is usually the case, but each twig 
and branch was merely"picked out", as it were, in white. 
The pines were especially beautiful, the snow clinging 
about the bases of each cluster of needles,leaving the 
tips exposed. The effect of the grasses and stalks was 
most delicate of all. 
• 
But most interesting of all was the flight of 
Water-fowl. Twice during the day I was thrilled by the 
honking of Geese, On the first occasion — at about 
8 A. M. — the flock, containing 22 birds, passed nearly 
over me at a great height. The air was thick with 
falling snow at the time and I was interested to see that 
the noble birds were slightly confused by the obliteration 
of their usual landmarks for, coming straight up the 
course of the river from Carlisle Bridge, they did not, 
as usual, cut across the land just below Davis's Hill but, 
on the contrary, nearly passed Ball's Hill to the eastward, 
keeping on due south. It was perfectly obvious that they 
discovered their mistake at the precise moment when they 
came to the sharp bend which the river makes just below 
the cabin, for at this point the flock was for a moment 
thrown into confusion by the sudden halting of its leaders. 
