Welcome spring. We’ve been waiting.

Yes, it comes, eventually. We wait, with some impatience, and then suddenly, it arrives. Here’s a great excerpt from a poem by John Goethe:

LATE WISCONSIN SPRING
Snow melts into the earth and a gentle breeze
Loosens the damp gum wrappers, the stale leaves
Left over from autumn, and the dead brown grass.
The sky shakes itself out. And the invisible birds
Winter put away somewhere return, the air relaxes,
People start to circulate again in twos and threes.
The dominant feelings are the blue sky, and the year.
—Memories of other seasons and the billowing wind;
The light gradually altering from difficult to clear
As a page melts and a photograph develops in the backyard.

Of course, for me, spring is exciting. The birds that winter put away, are returning to the yard, the woods and the lakes. And so my hobby becomes much more interesting. The backyard is awakening too and of course that is nice but also means the return of yard WORK. I think I used to enjoy it more. Now, I enjoy it some of the time. This weekend we got the garden tilled up and some kale and kohlrabi plants in. The grass already needed a trim. The hummingbird and oriole feeders are out; we’re ready.

Of course the first thing to awaken is my backyard nemesis.

Our first returning House Wren wasted not time and started checking out possible nesting sites so he’s ready when his lady returns.

We had a couple Wood ducks fly in to a tree in our yard the other day. Funny to see them perched like a sparrow or chickadee, high in a tree.

Although a few stay around all winter, when Robins start arriving in numbers, you know Spring is really here.

And here are a few from my spring ramblings.

Horned Grebe. A weird and wonderful looking bird.

Painted turtles catching some spring sun.

White-throated Sparrow foraging in the undergrowth.

Purple Martins at Lake Kegonsa State Park.

A beautiful male Purple Martin.

Some Canada Geese started early and already have a family to tend.

Meadowlark! I love hearing them sing.

Happened across this pretty fellow along a country road.

Happy Spring Everyone.

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