Not much snow left, but where it is, fog from a warm, damp wind blowing over the remnants in the lee of hedgerows.
Not much snow, but, instead, snowdrops.
Can’t forget to mention that Will helped with yesterday’s soil block making, too; in fact he did all the heavy lifting.
Katy on stage, and then stamping out blocks of dirt.
Small flock of Sandhills winging hard almost due west but moving rapidly almost due north.
Meanwhile, Bri’s friend and contemporary, Chad, won the Nite Nationals. Here’s how his boat ended up (after soft ice with a hard wind):
Nite Nationals begun today on Green Lake. Conditions not ideal, and no regrets at not participating. On to next year.
Windy and warming.
Morning dog walk, evening concert.
Very windy, with early spring clouds chasing spots of blue.
And, later, Maddie’s second grade musical concert.
Honda crf250l. Ad placed March 1. Bike sold March 4.
Photo by Sue
A fun 4.5 years, but times change. And now I’m thinking about e-bikes. Two wheels aeternum.
Meanwhile, the Blues Brothers are getting ready to ride.
Photo by Renee
…can be wild, but that will have to wait a day or two.
So, an older fellow is so proud that he put a jigsaw puzzle together in under two hours that he calls his wife over and tells her about it. “And look here on the box,” it says, “6 to 8.”
Sandhill cranes overhead, and red-wing blackbirds at the ponds. Robin yesterday. The early birds are here, and they are pretty sure spring is right behind them.
Also spotted, on a high ledge of the old stone water tower, what I think are a pair of American kestrels.
Along with Go Fish, pancakes, and long bike rides. A springlike day.
And, riding the warmth north, Robins, this year first sighted by Sue.
Photo by Sue
Lots of snow gone; lots of snow remaining. And where it’s gone, traces of life in the former subnivean zone.
Will, Kate, and Abby here for dinner and fun.
BLTs, cornmeal-cheddar waffles, mac&cheese for dinner. More good food and more good fun planed for tomorrow. And, katy brought her Polaroid camera, and used it to take a shot of the one eyed wonder. She then scanned it and gave it to me for posting.
…are appreciated.
So, the police arrest two guys caught in a burglary. One has a car battery, the other a bunch of fireworks. There’s an arraignment, but then, as you might expect, one is charged and the other let off.
This is from one of my favorite podcasts, “The Infinite Monkey Cage,” a blend of science and humor—with most of the humor better than that above.
And, then, in the same vein, this from Gina Barker’s FB page:
… and the clouds that create the rain, not the gutter that carries it to the drain.
—Rumi
Blundering along, half-glassed, but purposeful. Able to take two good walks with Pax. And to work on the computer using my monocle. Chilly, with a keen wind, and near zero tonight.
What color is a rainbow? Well, it depends on which eye you use (after a cataract procedure).
Bright, with forgotten blues, in the remodeled eye, along with 20/20 vision. Not so much in the pending oculus. And that’s the hard part—having two eyes that are so very different. To deal with the problem I’ve ripped an old pair of spectacles in half, and am using the right side as a monocle. It almost works (no photo available).
Once eye number two gets its upgrade, I thinking of some Oakleys.
…in progress. Please stand by.
Oak burl
… out of some far recess of the sky.
—Aldo Leopold, “Marshland Elegy,” A Sand County Almanac
Jace, a character in Tig of the Marsh and Wetland, hears the cranes returning north. One of the dozen or so illustrations being done for the book by friend Tom. (Antigone canadensis, the sandhill crane)
And warm enough to get out on two wheels, around town, including the footbridge over the rail road on the east side.
Soft southerly, and no impossible ice patches or impassable melt puddles (If you were willing to detour a bit). Lots of walkers, bench sitters and other two-wheelers out pretending spring has arrived.
We did a little bench sitting, too, on the back patio, watching snow melt. Pax reluctant to come back in.
Potted up 4 Kentucky coffee tree seeds and 8 shagbark hickory seeds (gathered last fall, and kept in the cold garage all winter). Expectations low, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.
Which…
Pip? Is that you, Pip?
…of the following should be included in elementary school vocabulary lessons?
(Choose all that apply)
☐ Phish
☐ Click bait
☐ Acorn
☐ Whack-a-mole
☐ Tweet
☐ Kingfisher
☐ Virus
☐ Troll
☐ Newt
Note: three of the above are among a group of (no longer used) words that were dropped from the most recent edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary. Which three are they?
…sweetgrass. After 35 days in the fridge, the sweetgrass seeds have come out to grow. At least theoretically.
Sweetgrass (Hierochloe ororata) is notoriously reluctant to grow from seed. It needs to be stratified, which is what it was doing in the fridge, and even then its germination rate is very low. The starter tray in the photo is comprised of 72 cells, and at least 2 (and up to 4) seeds have been planted in each. I’m hoping that by the first of May at least a few of the many will have sprouted.
As a side note: I’ve also got 50 hazel seeds now taking their turn in the salad crisper.
…at Greenland Elementary’s Science Fair. Ellie’s project revolved around the concept of immiscibility, Maddie’s electric circuits, and Becca’s the solar system. Ben and James had fun too, exploring and mingling with the crowd.
The Landmark Inn is a delightful place, with it’s penthouse North Star lounge overlooking Lake Superior, and it’s wood-paneled and cozy Northland Pub at street level (although the streets in Marquette are not level). But, since sleeping in hotel rooms is not something I tend to do, we decided to get back home before dark. Pax had a fine time at the Janowiec’s.
