March Journal

March 12, 2015

Spring arrived abruptly on Saturday (7^th), though it may be a false spring. Wednesday night had been -10 degrees Fahrenheit and Saturday was at least 45 degrees Fahrenheit, by Tuesday it was 65 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny, night time lows around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It was absolutely beautiful. The warmth and amount of sunshine was almost unbelievable, actually it hadn’t been so sunny for months, it was almost like a fairy tale. Working in the greenhouse was an absolute delight, bare feet, shorts, and tank top. Sinking my bare feet into warm soil felt so good. Sun soaking into my bare skin was incredible. With day light savings time and close to spring, it was suddenly very bright; daylight lasting longer into the evening. The whole week seemed like a dream. I decided to walk outside the greenhouse barefoot to really feel the earth coming alive. The ground was squishy, as snow melted quickly and the frost working its way out. My feet seemed to sink into mud and water. It was an interesting experience. Although it felt cold, it was refreshing and delightful. It was a great way to cool off after working in the greenhouse. I heard several flocks of geese fly over this week, one flock I actually observed. They didn’t fly in a “V”. There was a strong breeze most days. The mud smelled so good. Maple trees buds were beginning to open. Yesterday morning I heard a mourning dove cooing. And I thought I heard a red-wing black bird singing. And I’ve heard lots of woodpeckers drilling in trees.  The average temperatures were around 55 degrees to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. I just wanted to sit outside enjoying spring until dark. It was a wonderful week. Last week, Mom and I heard a wolf howling, it was just passing through. I thought at first it was a coyote, we quietly listened and then Mom said, “That’s not a coyote. That’s a wolf!”

March 17, 2015

I heard turkey’s calling for the first time this morning on my walk. They seemed to be in the woods so I wasn’t able to see them, but I look forward to watching the males strut for the females. Today was also the first day I saw a robin, though mom saw robins a couple weeks ago. I was more excited to see the less iconic red-wing black bird, which I saw finally instead of just hearing it again. I drove down between Elba and Beaver, checking the wetland area for waterfowl. I was disappointed that the area that was like a lake last spring, was a tiny creek. Only Canada geese were here, I saw a pair that may have been building a nest. I was disappointed that there weren’t any ducks or swans. It was cooler this week, around 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

March 25, 2015

Last week the temperatures fell back to the thirties. By Saturday, the breeze was quite chilly. Temperatures dropped further by Sunday. Late morning it began to snow, by evening there were several inches, we seemed to be back to winter. It snowed so much through the night, it was quite beautiful. There was enough to fill in the tracks. We got about ten inches of snow. The overnight lows dropped to nearly 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Last night it wasn’t raining but coming down as ice that turned into snow during the night, another two to three inches of snow. Although it is 40 degrees Fahrenheit today, it feels extremely cold with a west wind of 40 miles per hour. The past couple of days were more snow than we’ve had all winter. I much preferred the weather two weeks ago.

March 31, 2015

There was fog this morning when I went on my walk. Walking in the fog felt colder and crisp, it was almost a strange sensation. March seems to be going out like a lamb, today is an absolutely beautiful spring day. Although there is a breeze, but it is March after all, the windiest month of the year in Minnesota. But the temperature is quite warm, short sleeves are comfortable, and the sun is shining brightly. The birds were elated today, chirping happily as early as 6:30. I heard, and then saw, a flock of trumpeter swans flying north. Their beautiful white bodies almost looked silver in the very blue sky. They flew high and fast so I didn’t have long to admire them.