The scene out my front door doesn’t really look like the first full day of spring as it appears more like winter to me.
First Full Day of Spring
I posted this image a few years ago and it seems appropriate again for this year too.
The calendar said that spring arrived this evening, but with my yard still completely covered in snow, I don’t believe it. But I spotted the first spring robins back in a road ditch a few miles from my house so a hint of spring has arrived. I they can find some berries to eat since the ground is frozen so no worms for them yet.
Robins Return
It sounded like rain this afternoon with the melting snow dripping off my roof creating a deep cut to the ground in the four foot snow bank. Water does have the power to cut through even rock, although it might take a little longer than cutting through my snow banks. My snow bank cut wasn’t as impressive as the slice in this rock.
Slice in Rock
The birds were singing today but so far I haven’t heard any brave spring birds which have returned yet but they might want to see some ground without snow first. Although farther to the south, trumpeter swans have return already, but prior to 1935, seeing their return probably was a rare sight since their numbers had declined to 69 known individuals after widespread hunting in prior centuries.
Springtime Swan
It did not look very green today for St. Patrick’s Day especially when snowflakes were falling. And with a depth of several feet of snow in my yard, no clovers or shamrocks to find. This glen, after the snow melts, looks like a place where little leprechauns might be hiding and maybe a different Blarney stone.
Green in the Glen
The snow melt slowed today as temperatures were cold overnight and didn’t get to freezing today but the prior two days melting has streams and rivers overflowing. Even the little creek at the farm, which you can hop across in the summer, looks more a river. Now if that refroze to a hard surface, it would be a fun place to go ice skating.
Creek Overflowing
The chipmunks have returned from their winter burrow, or at least one has dug two feet up through the snow to eat seeds under the bird feeder. And my cat probably wishes the screen wasn’t separating them but the cat did have watching the little rodent. But the chipmunk probably got cold feet standing on the snow since it wasn’t enjoying a nice summer day like this chipmunk.
Return of the Chipmunk
After two days of rain and fog, I definitely need to find some ice skates as my icy driveway has been polished to a slippery mess. It may be a while before the ice melts and the gravel reappears.
Icy Driveway
The snow covered driveway yesterday was a better option than the slippery mess the rain left today. I used snowshoes that has spikes on the bottom to make it up my icy driveway to get the mail. Even one of the farm cats slid downhill on the ice and more rain tonight will polish the ice some more.
Before the Ice
It finally got above freezing today so instead of more snow today, rain is falling and melting some of the snow off the roof but not enough to flow like a little waterfall yet.
Light Flow at Twin Falls
