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dennismiller55
02-27-2013, 08:08 AM
I hike a lot. I am at peace when I am outdoors. With the warmer days lately I have been walking more outdoors and spending less time at the "Y". The wood trails still have to much snow to hike so I have been walking on a nearby gated road.

Two days ago was particularly nice and I managed a good 5 mile walk. Spring is exciting and I look for the early signs in anticipation.

Believe me, it still looks like winter here, however, I came across a "wooly bear" caterpillar crossing the warm pavement. I have always heard the folklore that this caterpillar can predict the weather. Maybe it can.

Then on my way home I notice my neighbor tapped his maple trees for sap collecting. A sure sign of spring.

The lake we live on is still frozen solid. We are fortunate to have a nesting pair of "Bald Eagles" here on an undeveloped area of the lake. Yesterday my wife went for a walk on the ice to check out the nest. She reported that the pair was in the nest. She also said it looked like they were doing what couples do (having a knock out, drag out fight or they were grooming each other :friendly_wink:). Another possible sign of early spring.

And as I sit here this morning drinking coffee and watching the sun rise, I see a young Osprey fly by. I am sure it is traveling from a nearby nesting site to the Penobscot River to hunt in the open water.

I think spring will be early this year.

AgentOrange
02-28-2013, 10:04 PM
WOW !!!!

Finally a guy who understands Thoreau shows up on the forum.

Here in SC Winter is still with us, but not like in Maine of course. Right now we are experiencing very welcome wet days. Around here, snow is not rare, but neither is a Winter without any. If we get snow, it is fun as it seldom last more than a day before the melt.
The days here now are in the 50's and the nights near freezing. This is a warmer Winter.

Early on were Sunny days and Sun is warm on a cold day. Lots of Daffodils are up in my garden. My Mahonia is setting flowers already and the late Camellias are blooming.
In the South, the Winter flower of note is the Hellebore or Linten Rose. Down the road in Georgia they have a festival for those.

The lake water this week is 49-50. You can catch Crappie and Bass, but you have to agitate the Bass. When the water warms, fish will hunt food. The actual temp is not as important as a water warming.
As to critters, the rare influx of Winter Siskins joining my finches is breaking my food budget. I just have a few Pine Warblers this year (my Winter Hummingbird replacements)

I have Red Maples, and the Sap Suckers are hard at work on them.

There are Osprey and Bald Eagles here, but have not seen one lately.
The other hawks are here as my bird feeders look like a buffet to them.

What we have most in common is the ability to look out and enjoy.

TNRabbit R.I.P.
03-12-2013, 08:31 AM
I was outside on Monday evening just before sunset & it had been a BEAUTIFUL DAY (65 degrees & sunny). Great after getting almost a foot of snow on Tue/Wed & losing power for 2 days.

I saw a bat flying around catching insects (didn't see any, but he seemed busy). Then a V of about 75 Canadian Geese went over; I've never seen so many in one flock! They were spread out about 200 yards wide.