April 5th, 2006 (update)

Death at the bird feeder!
I just came in the house to get Jed and myself some lunch and noticed a large number of Junco's hanging around the bird feeder out side the window.  I was working on trying to figure out what we could have  for lunch and looked out and there it was.  It had the Junco pinned to the ground and was looking very happy and licking it's chops thinking about the lunch that it was going to have.  I tried to get Jed away from his school work to come take a look, but it left before he could get over to the window.  I have never seen this happen right before my eyes before, and it was kind of interesting, unless you happened to be the Junco!  Well at least someone knows what they are having for lunch, now I have to go back to figure out what we are going to eat.
GT
April 5th, 2006

Well, so much for the snow banks receding, it is snowing here once again.  The forecast is for up to seven inches of the wet heavy snow.  There will be more trees down for sure if that happens.  I went down to the campsites the other day and started cleaning up the trees that came down during the winter.   What
happened to our 45-50 degree days with sunshine?  I was kind of getting used to that weather, I even took my long johns off!  (I know better than to do that this early in the year) 
   I had 3 robins out on the lawn the other day.  It sure seemed early for them to arrive up here.  Of course just down the road there is not any snow and I am sure that they moved back when it started snowing up here.
   Our elevation is just enough higher to keep us at that magical number of difference in temperature so that we get and keep the snow just a bit longer than a few miles down the road.  (I always figured that the closer to the sun you were the warmer it should be)  But hey, I still would not change it for anything.
   I noticed some fresh moose tracks on the road out yesterday.  Jed and I watched 4 eagles on the pond, 3 adults and one juvenile.  I never get tired of watching these birds, they are so impressive.  I have no idea how much food they can eat in one day, but they sure can put it away. 
   I noticed that the buds are starting to swell on some of the trees, so within the next month or so there should be leaves starting out.  They always start swelling and then just stop, holding off until the weather is finally good enough for them to burst out.  The sap starts them to swell and after the sap has finished running they sort of sit there and think about some continued warm weather before taking any chances of becoming a leaf!  (besides, they have to wait until the trout will bite before becoming as big as a mouse's ear)
   Speaking of trout, have you put all of your fishing gear in order for the first trip out?  It will not be all that long before the ice is out and the fish are biting once again.  (sometime around the end of April, first of May in these parts, as a rule) (I am betting on the 26th of April for the pond this year)
   I am ready to sit down by the edge of the pond in the sun and watch the waves lap the shore, listen to the loons and frogs.  (without getting hit in the head with snow flakes)  If I can steal those moments once a week or so it is great.  I look forward to seeing the guests arrive and catching up with what has been going on with them.  I can't wait to see Jed out on the pond catching fish once again.  He enjoys it so much and some day he will be quite the fishermen for sure. 
GT