I have been taking careful note of the signs that this godawful winter is coming to an end. (I have tried not to complain about the weather, but the continuing string of viruses and infections at my house is wearing thin. I have stopped posting about it, but it has not stopped.)
1. Spring training- the local team trains in Tucson, and every year we fantasize about heading out there for our spring vacation.
2. Crocuses poking up through the leaf litter in our front bed.
3. Baseball practices and games for the preteen.
4. Melting ice at the local lakes- and!- see below!!!
5. Well, standardized testing. It IS a sign of spring, and it's a great thing to put behind us...
1. Spring training- the local team trains in Tucson, and every year we fantasize about heading out there for our spring vacation.
2. Crocuses poking up through the leaf litter in our front bed.
3. Baseball practices and games for the preteen.
4. Melting ice at the local lakes- and!- see below!!!
5. Well, standardized testing. It IS a sign of spring, and it's a great thing to put behind us...
Have you been checking the local waterways? Give them a glance when you pass them- you'll probably notice that the rafts of ducks are denser and larger. If you have time to examine more closely, you'll find greater variety. Because IT'S MIGRATION TIME!!! Yes, here on the western edge of the Central Flyway, waterfowl have begun. It is a great time to drag out that old field guide- ducks are pretty easy to identify!
If you're really itchy, you could check to see when the sandhill cranes will be in Nebraska- holy cow, that is a primeval spectacle. They are ancient birds, with haunting calls and striking flight. They jump and flutter in a mating dance, and congregate by the thousands. Along with them are tens of thousands of snow geese. Have you ever thought about the sight of herds of buffalo, or do you, like me, remember from the Laura Ingalls Wilder books about the variety and numbers of birds near the lakes where her family settled? This is as close as you'll get to those untouched days, unless you somehow make it to Alaska. Or possibly Africa.
Here are some pics of our trip to the butterfly pavilion. Whew, is it muggy in there! Like a tropical vacation- and a promise of warmer weather to come.
This was not one of the more glamorous specimens, but it was fun that it landed on Andy.
Before you go to the tropical part, you can examine cases of various not-as-romantic-as-butterflies bugs. Here, the Dandy is noticing some fangs. NEAT.
It really looks misty like that. Isn't it pretty?
No comments:
Post a Comment