Originally published in the: Itās almost winter now, so if it didnāt snow last night (and it didnāt) much of the day will be spent enjoying the warmth of the fire. Our American Dipper has been here since yesterday, so there will be snow, more substantial than the foot thatās come and mostly gone recently, in the next couple weeks. For now weāre in that limbo state between āas ready as weāre gonna beā and ānow the real work beginsā; the real work being, in coming months, keeping the snow from burying us altogether. The Dipper will go again before that happens; he visits every early spring and late fall for four or five days, bobbing leisurely along on the Creek, hopping out wherever the pickinās look good on shore, and flying back to the top of our property again each time he reaches the bottom. Iām not sure why he likes it here so much except maybe that the banks are left largely undisturbed and there are a couple nice beach-y areas that invite fat night-crawlers to lay themselv...