What a Difference in a Year

Last year this was the Easter Weekend -- and Spencer and Winston were playing IN the lake.  Flowers were up in the gardens.  The first swallow arrived a full 18 days ahead of schedule, on April 4th. We were riding the horses in the outdoor ring.

April 1, 2010!

Brian and David took out the 10 hp fishing boat on April 1st -- not a joke!  The ice was almost completely out of our bay, and they were able to cruise out around the island. Yes, there was a nip in the air, but the land was dry, and the ice was well on its way to gone.

That was early -- but the earliest record we have of ice out was on March 31, in 1946. (thank goodness for diaries!)  On the other hand, it's been as late as May 9... in 1956.

Yesterday, out hiking, I took a 'shortcut' across the back field, and found myself over my knees in snow. You could ski those back fields, quite nicely thanks. There is two feet of snow on the north facing toboggan hill.

Our first robin showed up this week. While there is lots of open spaces around trees and driveways and on the southern side of the hills, the bird still looks a little disgruntled at having to cope with snowbound worms.

Red winged blackbirds are back. Starlings are here in force. Finches by the swarm.  The ice on the lake is still thick -- although it is starting to fray at the edges, driven back by springs and creeks that are starting to shrug off their winter coats of ice.

Seedling trees are doing their best to push up through the snow.  Their green needles soak up solar heat, melting the snow around and above them. There is still a bit of distance to go, however!  Sunny days in the forecast will help. You can almost see the snow recede.

And we know -- we just KNOW!!! -- that Spring is under there somewhere.  We'll keep looking...