It sure felt like old man winter was blowing some very cold air around today and there was no hint of spring whatsoever especially if a record low temperature might be set tonight.
Blowing Cold Air
Picture of the Day for April 5, 2018
I think the birds are tired of the snowy spring too as they been hitting the feeders rather hard and even a turkey was hanging out under the feeder this evening. I haven’t heard the killdeer anymore so it may have headed back south instead of running around on top of the snow. At least sandhill cranes have longer legs to wade through the snow but I think they prefer bare ground to do their walking and dancing.
Sandhill Crane Walk
Sandhill Crane Dance
https://youtu.be/6mQIWYeYLH0&w=640&h=430&rel=0
Picture of the Day for April 4, 2018
Just an hour south of my place on Sunday had very little snow and some of the white seen on the water was trumpeter swans, but now those areas also have a new coating of snow too.
Before the Snow
Picture of the Day for April 3, 2018
Winter is refusing to release its hold this year as another snow storm drops more of that cold white stuff. I watched items on the lawn, which were emerging from the white layer, get completely covered over again with snow. Those robins have had their tails get covered with snow too many times already so spring should be allowed to come but instead forecast calls for cold and more snow.
Winter Still Here
Picture of the Day for April 2, 2018
Winter seems to have rewound and started all over as more snow is falling again today. If the seasons need to rewind, then why not back to autumn where it would be warmer and more colorful.
Rewind to Autumn
Picture of the Day for April 1, 2018
Mother Nature played an April Fool’s Day joke on this Easter day when the morning broke on a very cold note and the snow did not disappear overnight. It would have been preferable to see a nice sunrise when the temperature was near normal for April 1 instead of 20 degrees colder. And with more snow predicted in the coming days, the winter joke is continuing for the beginning of April with no hint of spring.
Cold April Morning
Picture of the Day for March 31, 2018
March is going out like a lion, with the roaring wind which blew the new layer snow around. It didn’t feel or look like spring anymore, especially watching the kids dressed in snowmobile suits digging through the snow for eggs for the Easter egg hunt.
Winter Comes Again
Picture of the Day for March 30, 2018
The few summer birds who have return may want to book a trip south again with all the colder temperatures and snow in the forecast. But they wouldn’t likely be able to hitch a ride on a caboose as most of them have been put out to pasture. Until the 1980s, a caboose was required on all freight trains in the United States but technology changes reduced the number of crew needed on a train and eliminated need for a caboose. Use of cabooses began in the 1830s, which sheltered the train crew, provided a sleeping area on long trips and was the office area for the conductor. The crew could exit the caboose to switch the tracks and watch for shifting loads or maintenance issues. The most common caboose form had a cupola where a crew member could sit an an elevated seat to inspect the train from the higher perch.
Cupola Caboose
Picture of the Day for March 29, 2018
Although it wasn’t above freezing this morning, the sun was bright enough to melt some snow and my pond has finally filled back up and was overflowing. But there wasn’t any frog croaking as the only sounds were the cracking of ice as the sheet of ice moved around, especially as the fall low water level ice layer started to float to the top of the flooded pond.
Full Icy Pond
Picture of the Day for March 28, 2018
There were a few more signs of spring today with the temperature finally reaching the normal high so some snow was melting, even if my lawn is still white, but my pond was starting to fill up with the runoff. And I heard the first killdeer today so another summer bird returned but a sure hint of spring returning is that the chipmunks have emerged from their winter nap and they were checking out my porch for any flower pots to dig up even if there was none at the moment.
The Return of the Chipmunks
