Ice Off and Sensory Observations

Ice is officially off of the lake today.  To be fair, this may have happened yesterday.  There was ice remaining in the morning, but it was over 60 degrees yesterday AND it rained just after sundown, both of which could have contributed to quickly melting ice.  Either way, I didn't see the ice-free lake until this morning and I like the idea of a Leap Day Ice-Off.  How often will THAT happen?

So... here's that, in the grand scheme of things:

2016: 2/29

2015: 3/23

2014: 4/2

2013: 4/4

2012: 2/22

2011: 3/18

2010: 3/18

2009: 3/9

2008: 3/31

2007: 3/18

2006: 3/10

Not the earliest ice off ever... but darn close!  

I have been a naturalist of many senses this weekend.  Here are some of my observations for most.  I didn't taste anything, and I am not interested (right now) in a discussion about senses above and beyond the 5 we all learned in kindergarten. 

Sight: I saw a woolly bear crossing the trail on Saturday.  I didn't photograph it because 2 kids were looking at it and I didn't want to interrupt them.  Also I didn't want them to think I was nuts.  

Sound: I kept hearing killdeer this weekend.  Never saw one. 

Smell: It's skunky out.  I also know this due to sight, but the smell is more salient.  It's just sort of faintly permeating the air all around, despite what I'm about to mention for feel.

Feel: It's windy.  For the third day in a row.  Unseasonably warm, and extremely extremely windy.  

(Note: this blog entry vaguely reminds me of a nature observation organizer we use for our young students...)

February may be going out like a (wind-blown) lamb, but March is supposed to be coming in like the proverbial lion.  They're predicting dropping temperatures this evening and snowfall starting around 9 pm, with 4-6 inches accumulation.  If this happens, it will (I think) be our biggest snowfall since that 18-incher that happened before Thanksgiving.  In other words, winter of 2016 may be missing winter, and instead manifesting itself in fall and (almost) spring!  Weather is weird. But things are happening -- so happy observing!

Bird Brained

So yesterday... a small group of Sandhill Cranes flew overhead, heading north.  I didn't get my phone out and on in time for a photo, but they were pretty unmistakable.

This morning, I heard something else unmistakable... a piercing call in the crisp morning air.  At first I just kept walking, then I did a sort of double take.  Wait!  That was a red-wing black bird!  I found him in the tree but this little photo was the best I was going to do, picture-wise.  I heard the call several more times, though... tomorrow's winter storm, if it happens, may be a shock to all these guys!  

Snowdrops

In Anticipation...

I took this photo of aspen catkins yesterday.  This is the first time I've posted such a picture in February -- there are similar photos in March for every year previous to this... interesting. 

Tomorrow, it's predicted to hit 60 degrees!  (Though with winds almost as high, 40-50 mph, so it won't be as much of a treat as it could be.)  Already, it's slushy and muddy.  

Ice On

So winter finally came in earnest on Dec. 28, when we had a snow/sleet storm that required me to shovel the driveway four times in one day -- not necessarily because the snow was that deep, but because it was wet and heavy and if too much accumulated, it was nearly impossible to move it!  That snow is still here, so it's stayed seasonably cold for a whole week now.  

I spent part of that week in Colorado, and therefore missed the ice on date, but I'm putting it right around the new year.  When I was able to see things on 1/2, small ponds were totally frozen and larger lakes were pretty much frozen, with maybe a couple of small open spots which were all frozen over by the end of the weekend.  Now the question is, will it stay frozen through the end of the week when it's supposed to get near 40 again?  If so... next week is predicted to be positively arctic!

Darkest Days

Happy Winter Solstice!  We've hit the darkest time of the year... these days, our shadows are long, our sun is low in the sky (when it shines at all, which is only a short part of each day)... it's the day when the northern hemisphere is most tilted away from the sun. And now, we begin the slow but steady process of welcoming the sun back.

Though winter seems like it's just beginning, at least our days will start to get a little bit longer from here on out!

Seeing Signs

In March, this would be a welcome sign of spring.  Since I took this photo on December 16, it's a sign of something a bit more... disturbing.  At any rate, I don't think those daffodils will survive -- winter weather has finally set in, with cold and wind yesterday and today.  (And, OK, it's supposed to be back up in the mid- to upper- 40's next week, but right now, it feels like winter!)