One of the drawbacks of this mostly snowless winter is that I haven't had a chance to hone my tracking skills, which, I have to admit, could really use an abundance of practice, practice, practice. And, though this was something of a surprise, there haven't been many tracks to read in the recent snows. Overnight, however, somebody ventured forth on the millpond ice and left a passage record that I noticed on today's cardiac trek. Alas, I couldn't get close enough to give the trackway a close read, but from the size and configuration of the frozen footprints, I'm guessing that the walker was a beaver. I'm still befuddled by the lack of a trail-drag mark, so I can't be certain. As to the identity of the other, smaller set of tracks, the fact that those also end at that little hole in the ice has me leaning towards one of our local minks. I sure wish the ice was thick enough to support a more direct inquiry, but attempting to take that route would land me in cold, cold water. I'll have to content myself with a best guess.