At the woodchuck’s hole

March 16.

Cloudy in the forenoon. Sun comes out and it is rather pleasant in the afternoon. 

P. M. — To Conantum End. 

At the woodchuck’s hole just beyond the cockspur thorn, I see several diverging and converging trails of undoubtedly a woodchuck, or several, which must have come out at least as early as the 13th. The track is about one and three quarters inches wide by two long, the five toes very distinct and much spread, and is somewhat hand-like. They had come out and run about directly from hole to hole, six in all, within a dozen rods or more. This appeared to have been all their travelling, as if they had run round a-visiting and waked each other up the first thing. None have travelled beyond these holes, except that one track leads into the swamp. But here are the tracks of foxes bound on longer journeys. 

March 16, 2022

As I stand here, some sixty rods from the river, at about 3.30 P. M., looking at the open river, toward which my shadow points at right angles with its current, that part which my shadow extended would strike is a pale dull slate-color, but that part a dozen rods southerly from this is a distinct blue, which goes on increasing in depth southerly, till, looking at an angle of forty-five degrees from the first line, it is of a glorious, deep indigo blue. For some reason I must look much further north to see it blue. 

Returning, scare up two large ducks just above the bridge. One very large; white beneath, breast and neck; black head and wings and aft. The other much smaller and dark. Apparently male and female. They alight more than a hundred rods south of the bridge, and I view them with glass. The larger sails about on the watch, while the smaller, dark one dives repeatedly.  I think it the goosander or sheldrake. 

H. D. Thoreau, Journal, March 16, 1855

At the woodchuck’s hole just beyond the cockspur thorn [Cockspur thorn (Crataegus crus-galli) is a species of hawthorn native to eastern North America.]z  See June 10, 1856 ("The Crataegus Crus-Galli is out of bloom”); September 25, 1856 ("the Crataegus Crus-Galli on the old fence line between Tarbell and T. Wheeler beyond brook are smaller, stale, and not good at all. “). 

The track is about one and three quarters inches wide by two long, the five toes very distinct and much spread, and is somewhat hand-like. See March 15, 1860 ("I see to-day in two places, in mud and in snow, what I have no doubt is the track of the woodchuck that has lately been out, with peculiarly spread toes like a little hand.");April 12, 1855 (“For a week past I have frequently seen the tracks of woodchucks in the sand. ”). See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Signs of the Spring: The Woodchuck Ventures Out

At about 3.30 P. M . . . the open river . . . is a pale dull slate-color, but . . . southerly from this is a distinct blue, which goes on increasing in depth southerly, till. . . it is of a glorious, deep indigo blue. See  July 4, 1852 ("I looked down on the river behind Dodd's at 2.30 P. M., a slate-colored stream with a scarcely perceptible current"); May 27, 1859 ("The dark river, now that shades are increased, is like the dark eye of a maiden.”); August 31, 1852 ("That part of the sky just above the horizon seen reflected . . . is as light a blue as the actual, but it goes on deepening as your eye draws nearer to the boat, until, when you look directly down at the reflection of the zenith, it is lost in the blackness of the water.”); September 20, 1852 (“The reflected sky is a deeper blue.”) Compare January 14, 1852 ("I notice to-night, about sundown, that the clouds in the eastern horizon are the deepest indigo-blue of any I ever saw. Commencing with a pale blue or slate in the west, the color deepens toward the east."); and Walden ("Walden is blue at one time and green at another, even from the same point of view.")

Scare up two large ducks . . . I think it the goosander or sheldrake. See March 16, 1854 ("I see ducks afar, sailing on the meadow, leaving a long furrow in the water behind them."); March 16, 1860 ("Saw a flock of sheldrakes a hundred rods off, on the Great Meadows, mostly males with a few females, all intent on fishing”) See also A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, The Sheldrake (Merganser, Goosander) and A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, Signs of the Spring: Ducks Afar, Sailing on the Meadow

March 16. See  A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau, March 16

Tracks from hole to hole

as if they had run round and

waked each other up.

A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau,  At the woodchuck’s hole 

A Book of the Seasons,  by Henry Thoreau 

"A book, each page written in its own season,

out-of-doors, in its own locality.”

~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2025

https://tinyurl.com/hdt18550316