Welcome, Spring. Glad you're here!

Outside the kitchen window:

This morning I watched a pair of grackles work feverishly putting their nest in order in the sugar maple tree. In and out and out and in, disappearing into the armpit of the hollow limb. This has been a GRACK house for more than ten years now. I wonder if these are descendents of the original birds? Soon , another batch of babies.


Canada geese are returning. ( So many winter over now, but the fields are full of the weary travelers.) Every morning, I watch the inverted check marks move across the sky. The inlets are full of sleeping mute swans, floating white clouds on the steel blue water.
Along the ponds' edges wild grasses, reeds, cattails, pampas are shades of mallow. The willows are beginning to yellow. Soon, Spring. Waiting to hear the red-winged blackbirds,waiting for the soft gray pussy willows, the metallic smell of earth warming up. We're planning our gardens, starting seeds. In the barn's nursery the first batch of baby bunnies. All is well.


With these new arrivals, the foxes, coyotes, owls will be birthing their babies too. Soon, these mothers will be scouring the area for food. Hopefully, they won't see our farm as all you can eat chicken take out. . . .


Peter is going to order some more turkeys this year. I really loved watching them last year. I loved their sound. Made me think of Jurassic Park. One of our turkeys disappeared last year. We don't think it was animal poaching, because there wasn't any evidence, and the rest of the animals remained untouched. In animal snatching, there are repeat performances. Consequently, we think the turkey was lured away by a passerby or it joined a band of wild turkeys. I'm inclined to think it was the turkey-napper.


I'm looking forward to the spring and summer. It's going to be 60 degrees tomorrow.