A bit of a January thaw that included rain earlier this week helped take the snow burden off area trees. The sloppy storm of late last year and subsequent snow squalls kept their mark on the Carlton County landscape. Pine Knot News photographer Amber Nichols went into the wilds to capture scenes of a snowy season. She found horses out in a pasture in Esko at River Ranch Farm, top. In Wrenshall the snow has piled up. For nearly a month, crews there have been clearing snow from streets and curbs. Fields show only the top stubble of last year's crop. A driveway and cemetery in Cloquet are cloaked in a quiet white.