Fresh snowfall and chillier temperatures make it feel more like winter in Minden Hills after an unusually mild December and January.

In the woods towards Kinross Creek, the sightlines are longer through the bare hardwood trees above a crisp, white forest floor. On my yard-sale snowshoes, I get up the hill and, as usual, find myself following deer tracks to my destination.

Crossing the creek, I notice an unusual pattern on a large tree stump maybe a hundred yards down the deer highway. From a distance, it looks like a Haida totem pole.

Up close, I can see that a woodpecker has been at this old maple stump, carving a series of holes to get at insects inside the decomposing wood. Some of these holes have caught and cupped the recent snowfall — creating a natural artwork in the forest.

Nearby, a smaller tree bent over in a storm creates a magic arch for the deer to pass under on their journey.

I’d assumed the creek would be frozen solid in February, but with recent thaws it is carrying off a fair bit of water from the surrounding valley. In Ali’s pond, I catch the reflection of the bare tree tops and a small conifer upstream.

I’ve been reading a bit about “vernal” ponds like this, which swell in spring and often dry out in summer. Because they are not big enough for fish, many provide habitat for amphibians such as frogs, toads and salamanders, as well as fairy shrimp (a crustacean) and insects. I make a note to check out areas of the creek next summer for more signs of aquatic life.

Using my ski poles for balance, I tramp up to the hydro tower, which has its own strange geometry, not to mention a warning about voltage. It’s minus 10 Celsius this afternoon, and I recall our teachers warning us in winter not to lick the metal fence next to our elementary school. I have no plans to touch this particular hydro tower today, mostly because up above it is carrying 220,000 volts.

On the way down the hill, I spot a few more interesting shapes and textures — a dense bird’s nest woven into the spikey branches of a thorn-apple tree, and some wildflower seeds waiting to take flight above the snow pack — nature’s art.