Spring Has Indeed Sprung

Last Monday the entire landscape was covered in snow and ice.  And today it's nearly all gone.  Last Friday, after three good melting days in a row, Samuel and I went for an evening nature hike.  We were gone for over an hour and experienced a great many naturey things.  I didn't want to be accused of documenting every step of the walk so I left the camera at home.  Sam enjoyed our walk immensely and told Dad all about it when home.  Here's what made an impact on him.

Large white lichen on a tree stump

Canadian geese breaking their way through the slushy ice

Bald Eagle flying overhead

Bright green moss on a Birch tree stump

Mole tunnels

Heard our first Spring Peepers

Feather - white with dark gray stripes

He also carried dad's BB gun and I wedged an oak leaf into the bark of a tree for him to shoot off.  Second shot and it was down.  Last year we took part in a Nature Club and look forward to starting that up now that nicer weather is here.

Other nature highlights from the last few days:

*Emily and I heard the Loon early Friday morning on our run.  All the ponds were still covered in ice - Good Luck!

*We got a lot of rain Saturday night which helped the grass green up.  Quite an amazing sight - you go to bed and the yard still looks mostly dead and wake up to green grass.  That was a pleasant surprise.

*Sunday's 80 degree temps really rotted the ice nicely and now today the entire pond is a sea of ripples.

The garden seeds are ordered, rose bushes pruned, leaning apple tree staked and garden gloves all washed and ready for a new season.  And I can't wait.