Spring!

Spring is finally here. After a bit of rain, most of the snow from right around my home is gone. Today the first mourning cloak of the season, a sure sign of Spring, is here, flitting around my yard. The snowdrops are peeking their heads out around Caelie's grave. A hawk has been flying around the woodlot making a great ruckus, and just a few minutes ago landed in a tree next to my woodstacks.

 

Nice here also Sherwood Out splitting so not hearing too many birds.

 

It's currently 60's here and the snow is melting fast.
Any field mice in your woodstacks? They hide in them sometimes to get out of birds reach.

 

I don't think there are any in there right now, but I wouldn't swear to it. They certainly build nests in the stacks for the winter. Once it starts to get sunny, the garter snakes pretty much keep them at bay.

I'm funding it hot in the sun with the temps in the 50's. Glad there is a breeze.

 

The lake is still frozen solid.

 

Good day to be out then, after being cooped up all winter it's nice getting outside.

 

The icebreaker went by Kingston the other day.

 

I was in a very large meeting at work earlier this week, and the person leading it mentioned how spring was here, except for the rain we were getting. I kind of made me wonder about the intelligence of our upper management....doesn't rain typically come with spring?? lol

 

The signs are here, too. I see green in the woods. In a few weeks, it will get hard to see through the undergrowth to find the small, dead trees I want to grab for my BIL. But with temps around freezing and a brisk north wind tonight, I'll be firing the stove shortly.

My blood must be thinned out from the years I've spent down here; It would have to be 20 degrees warmer for me to start sweating. Maybe you're talking centigrade?

 

It was almost 65 here today. The snow is caving fast. Flooding here in Maine along the big 5 rivers will be the next spring ritual... really hope it goes easy this year on so many folks who live nearby.

 

It was a beautiful day here too. Most of the snow is gone, except for where I had my snow dunes clearing it from my driveway. I even saw a couple patches of green in my lawn! It's here!

 

Sunny...then cloudy....then sunny....then cloudy, you get the idea.
Got some splittin' done today! 54 degrees

 

It's confirmed. Spring is here. I took my first tick of the year off my arm this evening.

 

We never had much for winter. We did have the cold but only 1 real snowfall. Still waiting for the final blast we tend to get.

 

Isn't it a bit early for ticks where you are? Even here, 500 miles south of you, it is early for ticks to be showing up.

 

As soon as there is any thaw, they are active. And at this time of year they are tiny, so hard to see. Mostly I feel them on me, that's how I find them. Need to get the light colored clothes out.

 

Yeah don't worry bud, it's OK to be warm think of the sun as your woodstove yards gotta be 45 parallel people to wear the shirts and shorts at 50.
I went to Australia for college in northern territory their winter it was 68 degrees I went swimming as pool was 75. they thought I was crazy coldest it had been in 30 years they bought every pair of jeans and sweatshirt they called them jumpers I had. it was February it was like 90 degree increase for me.
65 yesterday 3 inches of snow high of 30 today

 

Oldman47, I got thinking about your post. I don't think you can be 500 miles south of me. I'm about 50 miles North of Watertown, NY (more than 50 miles from Watertown, but not more than 50 miles N of Watertown, and I think Watertown is about level with Sheboygan. I doubt you're more than 300 miles south of me? I'm gathering you're in southern Illinois. How many miles is it from Chicago to the southern tip of the state?

Of course, miles doesn't tell the entire story. You may be a lot warmer than us. We are Zone 5....at least the plants think we are. We are on the border of Zone 4. They may have to change our Zone after the past two winters