Countdown to Spring - Well, We Made It

It was my intention to do a post yesterday on the last walk of winter and the first walk of spring, noting how it's so unusual to be able to do them both on the same day because spring started so late in the afternoon (5:58 PM EDST). 

However, I was sick yesterday with a fever that ultimately got to 104°F, sore throat, body aches, and feeling more than a bit tired.  Sounds a lot like flu, doesn't it?  But since I had the flu shot, med folks (yes, I did see my doctor, thank you) are loathe to call it that three-letter f-word without testing and nobody, including yours truly, wanted to jump the extra hoop.  So, stick a fork in it and  call it a 'flu-like illness' instead.  My apologies to any co-workers who were exposed to whichever it was.  I'm feeling much better today, with fever broken, sore throat and body aches just about nonexistent, and a lot more life in my swamp. 

But, I'm taking it easy for an extra 24 hours, and not taking a walk in the rain that is presently coming down at my location.  So my first walk of spring, and the subsequent blog entry, will likely be tomorrow or Saturday, whenever it stops raining.

See you then.

Happy Spring.

Countdown to Spring – Them!

No, not ...

From the 1954 film "Them!"

this one.


This one ...

I saw my first robin shortly after 7 AM this morning.  This was followed by two more 15 minutes later and two more just a few minutes ago.  I suspect our downright nice weather of the past couple of days which has melted about 75-80% of the snow cover helped in getting them to finally fly back to the Mid-Hudson Valley.



So, they have arrived.  I never doubted, but I was beginning to wonder if it was going to be April before I saw and heard my first one.  Did wonders for my mood, gotta say.

Only four days until Spring.

Countdown to Spring - Following the Sun

So, after our most recent bit of heavy snow (good packing stuff – great for snowball fights), we had what I think/hope is the last arctic blast of this season.  As with the first two episodes of polar vortex breakout, I did waterline vigil, getting up multiple times in the night and making sure I still had hot and cold water running through the pipes, not frozen somewhere before that to the point of needing to wait until late afternoon before I could have my morning shower.  Yes, I'm always bleary-eyed and needing coffee more than just wanting it after doing that, but it's totally worth the effort in my book.  Besides, I'm used to sleep deprivation.

Signs of oncoming spring have been elusive.  There are some birds doing what I consider spring singing, year 'round feathered residents claiming their territory.  But I haven't seen any migrators yet.  The robins have not made their presence known even to the folks who tell me I'm late in seeing them every year.  My favorite little pussy willow, which normally is already in early fuzzy bloom, is only starting to bud.  Trees are starting to show signs of life, but it's usually more pronounced by now, although my coworker who taps maple trees to make syrup every year says the sap is running and he wasn't talking about a political candidate, either. 

But the days are getting longer and the sun is coming up more to the north on the horizon and is higher in the sky now.  It's only been within the last two weeks, but I've noticed my cats are seeking out windows and the space at my balcony door during the sunny periods of the day.  With the sun brighter and therefore warmer than the rumpled covers on the bed where the human was previously, they are basking their furry butts.  I totally get it.

Thing is, even after the sun has moved on and the rays are no longer directly coming through the glass, they're still staring out onto the outdoor world, likely with as much anticipation as their owner of escaping the great indoors after all this time.  But, while daytime temperatures in the 40s are friendlier, which is where they are now and are predicted to remain right until the last day of this now dreary winter season, they're still not inviting cats or humans to stay outside for any length of time.  The snow is  going away, but there still a lot left.  Underneath it, though, is brown and even some green.  So, the end of this winter solstice really is coming and will become a memory in less than a month.  Honest.

If you have Daylight Saving Time where you live, it's likely starting this weekend, so don't forget to turn your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed tonight unless the clocks do it on their own (some do).

Only 11 days until Spring.