We've been enjoying yet another spell of warm weather around these parts. Afternoon temperatures have been in the 50's for the past 2 days (57 today). The snow is nearly gone and our dirt road is quite exciting to navigate. Our house is no place for 2-wheel drive right now. Some people pay extra or travel to far-flung locations for this kind of extreme mud-bogging entertainment. Around our house, it's a twice a day experience.

Bird life is in flux too. B said she heard her first red-winged blackbird yesterday in a tiny marshy spot hear our house. I've watched small flocks of sandhill cranes circle over head a few times in the last week. I love hearing their 'outer space' voices. I continue to be amazed that this sound is made by earthly creatures. Though I've seen robins around the greenhouses for most of the winter, now their yackety laughter is hard to miss around home in the early evening. And speaking of evening, I'm really enjoying taking Dylan for his morning and evening walks in the daylight. We've been terrified all winter that we'll startle one of our local skunks on our early or late dog-walks-in-the-dark. We can handle the possums and rabbits and deer, but I'd prefer not to meet a skunk. Morning twilight is beginning at about 6:30 AM and it's not dark until after 7:00.

Technorati tag(s): nature, me