Something for retirees to ponder.

[UncleHoney]

Last night when I took the trash can to the curb I noticed some strange looking patterns in the melting snow on the driveway. You can see where the neighbor's cat walked around on the drive but the snow and slush hasn't melted where his foot prints are. Something to think about after another cup of tea.

 

[samclem]

That's a strange one. I'd have guessed that just the opposite would happen: That the darker color where the kitty's paws poked through to the sidewalk would lead to greater local melting there and that his path would experience higher melting than the rest of the driveway as a result.
Okay, great minds--theories?

 

[poboy]

I have posted this before, but will do it again. Please tell me who/what is this thing called "snow"?

 

[CCdaCE]

Where the cat walked, a ridge of snow developed from the prints. Then the wind blew more snow into that area. The snow in the area that the cat walked is thicker. There's more snow to melt.

-CC

 

[UncleHoney]

I have posted this before, but will do it again. Please tell me who/what is this thing called "snow"?

It's the specialty of the house only reserved for us Yankees north of the Mason Dixon line.

 

[bbbamI]

I like to ponder, then take a nap. Life is good.

 

[TromboneAl]

No grasshoppers, you are looking at it backwards.

The snow had already melted, and the cat chose to walk along the "path" of snow. Either it prefers snow to pavement, or, more likely, it just chose to walk along the path, just as it would walk along a worn path in the forest.

 

[UncleHoney]

No grasshoppers, you are looking at it backwards.

The snow had already melted, and the cat chose to walk along the "path" of snow. Either it prefers snow to pavement, or, more likely, it just chose to walk along the path, just as it would walk along a worn path in the forest.

Could be, I have noticed him several times crossing the snow covered patio and each step is in his previous steps. Got to be some trick to keeping all four feet coordinated.

 

[UncleHoney]

I did a little closer investigation a while ago, the snow covered ridges are hollow underneath and crunch down if you step on them.

 

[Nords]

No grasshoppers, you are looking at it backwards.
The snow had already melted, and the cat chose to walk along the "path" of snow. Either it prefers snow to pavement, or, more likely, it just chose to walk along the path, just as it would walk along a worn path in the forest.

Now you're going to have to watch all the cats in the neighborhood to see where they prefer to walk-- on ridges or in cleared spaces.

I'd love to help, but I have about as much experience as poboy...

 

[Puzzley]

I'm with Al, I think the cat just walked on the unmelted ridge...

 

[Walt34]

Y'all have too much time on your hands....<g>

 

[Khan]

Y'all have too much time on your hands....<g>

No such thing.

Time spent pondering is not wasted.

 

[Grizz]

Cats hate water. The surrounding area was melting and slushy when the cat came by so he picked the high ground to walk on. Now, the real question is why do you have that odd ridge of snow running down the driveway in the first place?

 

[Ronstar]

Interesting - your driveway looks like mine, except i don't have the holes. I suspect the cat had nothing to do with this. Maybe its a weird melting pattern caused by debris from the spy satellite that was shot down.

 

[calmloki]

Cats is creatures of habit - our yard has cat trails beaten down into the grass 'cause they like walking a set path. I'm thinking that you had snow long enough that the cat(s) had time to compact the snow and it was cold enough that the compacted snow got ice-like. Come the thaw, the ice melted slower than the surrounding loose snow. But why the individual catprints on the cat path? You gave the final clue: "
I did a little closer investigation a while ago, the snow covered ridges are hollow underneath and crunch down if you step on them." Cat trod the icy path after the thaw and broke through the skim ice, putting the paw areas down on the warmer earth to melt away. Or so i posit.

 

[WM]

I have no idea what the answer is, but reading the thread I'm vicariously enjoying the relaxed state of mind that allows for spending time on it

 

[cantlogin]

I have no idea what the answer is, but reading the thread I'm vicariously enjoying the relaxed state of mind that allows for spending time on it

You're right, that's a wonderful observation!