Yesterday when we were out on our daily walk around the island, we saw these tracks running over the fresh snow in the east bay. We couldn't decide what they were at first. Even though they didn't look like muskrat tracks, we were fooled into thinking they were when they went into this muskrat hole on the shore.



I consulted our field guide to animal tracks when we got back to the house, and learned that they're mink tracks. As a bonus, the field guide says, "Mink dens may be dug into banks, in which case they will be about 4 inches in diameter. The mink may also use muskrat burrows..." Hmm. I wonder what happens to the muskrats in this case? Best not to think about it. Mink are one of the many reasons our chicken coop is fortified with hardware mesh on all six sides.


Yesterday Gary set the solar panels into winter position, which is nearly vertical, as the sun doesn't rise very high in the sky this time of year. We've had to run our generator twice this month to charge the batteries, as November is always the worst month in northern Minnesota for making electricity with solar energy. We've been getting a bit rambunctious with our electricity usage since we first installed this system, too: we've added satellite internet, two laptops, a small television set, a washing machine, and a few more lights. Even with all of these energy users, the sun usually provides enough electricity to run them, all on its own. Just not in November! So adding more solar panels is high on our to-do list.

Time to get the turkey in the oven for our Thanksgiving meal. The pine siskins, meanwhile, are enjoying what's left of the bee balm in the garden out front. Enjoy the day!