Turkey track

There are a lot of voles this year.  They scampered across the trail ahead of me in single file.  I would give a startled intake of air.  Indy, her tail in the air w/ excitement, tried to catch them before they got across to the safety of their snow hole.   Indy and I left that trail to take off along an old path up through the woods.   The snow was completely trampled there.  Obviously where the deer have been holding their nightly dance raves.  Further up the hill there is a little balsam about the size of me in a clearing and I stopped to size it up as a possible future Christmas tree.  That's when I noticed a dead mouse hanging over a branch near the trunk.  It was about two feet off the ground.  The only thing I know that would put a cadaver in cold storage (so to speak) is a shrike.  There is one around but why would a bird put it's food in such a difficult spot for it to get to?  Maybe the little carcass fell out of an owl's talons?  Will have to think about that one.   Once home I sat down at the computer and gave my usual yearly donation to the organizations I support.  Even finished up the book I'd been reading.  There.  Have completed as much as I can of the old year stuff and I'm ready for the new.