It was one of those grim early mornings, with the temperature heading towards 50, the mist devouring what little snow fell earlier, and this naturalist wondering if I was ever going to get any time on snowshoes or cross-country skis this so-called-winter. Instead of deploying those treasured conveyances, I opted for waterproof, more or less, boots, and trekked early into the Bell Cedar preserve close to home to savor the refuge as I'd come to know it over the years. I can't be certain of when the change will come, but sometime in the foreseeable future, a wooded stretch of about eight acres is going to be cleared to provide suitable habitat for the endangered New England Cottontail rabbit, our native species brought low by habitat destruction and being out-competed by the introduced Cottontail. I know the management project is a good idea and a boon for biological diversity, but clearcuts are horribly ugly and I'll miss the peace of these woods. I'm enjoying them while they're still here.