It is a good thing the south winds haven’t blown in any of the returning ducks yet since my pond still has a layer of ice covering it. So far the Blue-winged Teal have only visit my pond for a few weeks each spring but haven’t stayed to nest so apparently my area isn’t appealing to the females, who decide where to nest by flying over possible areas and she may take several days to decide.
Too Early for Ducks
After a one day break, Mother Nature decided to throw down some of those white flakes again today. While cleaning bluebird houses this morning, I found some white color nest materials which some rodents used over winter. I also spotted the white belly of a mouse that had to leave quickly when I opened the bird house.
White Belly
Today Mother Nature did not drop anymore of that unwanted white stuff but did provide some color through the still bare trees at sunset.
Early April Sunset
Apparently Mother Nature didn’t get enough jokes in yesterday so she added another white and not so nice prank in the form of hail.
Different White Stuff
Mother Nature played a small April Fools’ Day joke today when I found a coating of new snow coating the ground. I would have appreciated a nice treat of wildflower blooming instead of the snow, even if they were white wildflowers like these bloodroots. Its name comes from bright red color of the sap when the stem is cut.
A Better White Coat
Some of the rivers are flowing with white although not white foam, but chunks of ice instead. And at times they cause an ice jam which causes even more flooding, but in a few months the scene will look different.
Summer High Flow
It felt more like winter than spring today and I bet the returning birds were wondering why they came back. Although the spring birds were not singing very much, some of the winter birds were, like the cardinals who seemed to enjoy the cold sunshine.
Cardinal Singing
This sunken ship on Lake Superior with bone like fingers sticking up out of the water reminds me of my yard after winter storms brought down trees and now there limbs poking up through the snow but the rest of the tree remains under the snow.
Lake Superior Shipwreck
Yesterday’s warmer temperature finally stopped my roof mini-waterfalls since the last of the snow melted off my roof, but of course there is still plenty of that white stuff still covering my lawn. And the spring flow over waterfalls make them flow heavier than in the late fall.
Slow Flow at Two Steps
The temperature outside finally got above 50 but with only a few patches of ground showing in my yard, there were no signs of dandelions blooming or even leaves sprouting up. So I couldn’t give my mom her yellow birthday flowers this year.
No Dandelions
