March 18, 2018 It's Beginning To Feel Like Spring!

Dinga enjoying the view from
the south ridge.

I think I can see a little
bump where the bench is.

Our "soft" egg.

Jesse enjoying the view from
the north ridge.

Dinga making a snow angel.

Some of our visiting deer
Sunday afternoon.

Friday 3/15. We had a surprise visit this morning from Larry and a westie.  About 11:00 am, here comes a snowmobile up our drive.  Larry had tried to come up on his ATV, but as soon as he turned onto our road, it belly-panned.  So they drove back down and traded the ATV for westie's snowmobile and made it up with very little problem.  And, he brought our mail!  Woo Hoo!  (A "westie" is someone who owns land in the canyon but lives on the west side of the mountains.)

I started shoveling snow away from the porch as last year it got very soggy there.

The girls gave us three eggs today!  Only one of them, Shy Ann, has been laying since about October, so this was another surprise for the day.  However, one of them did not have a shell, as the membrane did not harden.

A beautiful day with a high of 46, boding well for the arrival of Spring.

Saturday 3/16. It is 28 and partly cloudy this morning.  Time to put the long johns back in the drawer.

Did some more shoveling away from the porch.  The sun was too warm to wear a coat for that project.  Our high for the day was 48.  There is a distinct difference in the snow since yesterday morning - it is obviously melting.  We don't have any runoff, but it is sinking fast.  Bushes are appearing, and so are rocks and bare earth on the south slope.

Sunday 3/17. St. Patrick's Day began with 34 and clear skies.  Just a week or so ago, I would have felt that we were "still gripped by the iron fist of winter", and now Spring is obviously on its way.  (A quote from the book I am reading, Five Ways to Kill A Man by Alex Gray.)

I have now shoveled all the way to the end of the porch.  Unfortunately I realize that I have basically just made a place for the melting snow to create a pond.  Lovely. . .

Our deer visited this afternoon, coming up the west slope to the south of the woodshed.  I was able to snap a few more good photos of them.

What an incredible day - with a high of 54!  I just hope we don't get in trouble with a fast melt. . .

Monday 3/18. It is 38 and clear this morning.  Didn't even get down to freezing during the night.

Thought for the day: Winter is not a season, it is an occupation.  Sinclair Lewis