These horses look as disgusted with the dark, cold spring days as I am and I bet they would like to see some new green grass growing again.
Disgusted Horses
Picture of the Day for April 7, 2015
Across rural America, many old one room schoolhouses (or even fancier multi-room schools like this one) are used for township halls for meetings and voting. So some rural schools, where bells once rang in the past to gather children and survived abandonment, have traffic through their doors again today as people cast their votes on election day.
Old Schoolhouses Survive as Town Halls
Picture of the Day for April 6, 2015
The proverb “March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers”, first recorded in 1886, or the shorter version “April showers bring May flowers” (originally “Sweet April showers/Do spring May flowers”, part of a poem recorded in 1610) are common expressions in English speaking countries. But it doesn’t say whether it is rain or snow showers which bring the flowers although at least it has just been rain showers here this morning and not snow like further north. The colder temperatures still have kept the flowers from sprouting up this spring yet and if they had, flowers like the snow glories could be covered with snow.
Snow Glories Could be Covered by Snow
Picture of the Day for April 5, 2015
The day has clouded over but earlier this morning the moon was out and there was a pink sky, (but I didn’t stop to take a picture of the sunrise so I wouldn’t late for church). Each sunrise and sunset is different with changes happening each minute as the sun sets or rises.
Easter Sunday Sunrise
Picture of the Day for April 4, 2015
When I was outside one day last week looking for any hint of some wildflower, a pair of ducks were circling to land in my pond but they spotted me and flew off. I didn’t recognize the smaller duck species as each spring I get some temporary visitors on their journey farther north. The next evening they did land in the pond but since it was so windy that day, they stayed hidden behind the long grass so I still couldn’t identify them
A couple of years ago, I did have some visiting Blue-winged Teal ducks stop over on their trek back from their winter stay in South America but since my pond is too small, they ventured elsewhere after a day of resting.
Pair of Blue-winged Teal Ducks
Picture of the Day for April 3, 2015
I still haven’t spotted any wildflowers but when it is below freezing this morning again, the flowers are wise not to poke their heads up yet. The only green and growing plant that I have spotted so far is moss. The tall, stalk-like sporophytes were waving in the strong winds above the low, leaf-like gametophytes of the moss. But moss might end up in a chickadee nest as moss is a favorite material for the nest foundation and I did see a chickadee going into a birdhouse this spring already.
Moss Sporophytes
Picture of the Day for April 2, 2015
Yesterday the ice layer on Lake Superior broke up and open water appeared again where I was standing for this picture so another sign that spring is coming and the rain last night took the last of my snow pile finally. But with chances of snow in the forecast, it might not be the last of the white stuff this spring yet.
Winter Fading
Picture of the Day for April 1, 2015
According to the Farmers’ Almanac, if it thunders on All Fool’s Day, it brings good crops of corn and hay. We could use a good crop season but so far all day the thunderstorms have been staying just to the north, although there is a line of storms heading this direction now. The cropland remains idle after the long winter so hopefully the April Fool’s Day storm will bring a great crop year.
April Fool’s Day Thunder
Picture of the Day for March 31, 2015
An English proverb describes typical March weather as “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” And it looks like March went out like a lamb this year as I was able to open the windows since it warmed to 62 this afternoon. That was preferable to having a snow storm when March goes out like a lion instead.
March Out Like A Lamb
Picture of the Day for March 30, 2015
Temperatures slightly above freezing yesterday afternoon melted the ice that fell earlier in the day which was a good thing with the strong winds making the tree branches rattle. So winter days aren’t so lucky when the heavy ice break limbs and power lines. I just don’t know if ice counted as snow for the robin tail for spring to finally come.
Ice Encased Leaf
