BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Animal Life Signs of spring popping up all over!

My crocuses are up just outside our picture window, and my daffodils are at least 8 inches out of the ground. Two have bloomed. I've also noticed that a few of my tulips are peeking through the soil along with some irises. I don't know if you all know this about me, but I spend many, many hours in my flower beds in the warm seasons. So I am thrilled that I will soon be able to enjoy one of my favorite hobbies again. I have plans to expand Tear Drop's Garden and to plant some shade plants across the pond and a few more perennials over there. Today if the weather cooperates I will be cleaning out the old iris and daffodil stalks and leaves across the pond. Those are flowers my grandmother planted almost 50 years ago. I haven't really had time the last two springs to properly manage them (too much home repair got in the way).

Our ducks are definitely paired up for spring, although occassionally our two green-headed males vie for the same female - Blossom. Poor girl. I just want to throw rocks at those males when they pile on top of her, but usually there are none nearby. Every morning and afternoon I count my ducks to make sure the males haven't mated one to death. That seemed to be a problem for us in years past.

The two adult geese that lived on our pond are beginning to nest again, I believe. They are MIA in the mornings when we leave for work, but then are here when we return in the afternoons. This morning, being Saturday, I was awakened by the sound of honking geese. When I looked outside all 6 were out there. So I'm guessing the two adults just flew in for the day. I haven't gone exploring the neighbor's pond yet, but I may today. I would expect to see a nest in the same spot as the last two years. The other four geese show no inclination of mating, nesting. I think I read somewhere that they don't do this until they are about 3 years old.

On a sadder note, I can tell spring is in the air due to the increase in road kill I see along the road as I drive to work. So many skunks, possums, rabbits, and squirrels. I think they are on the move more now that mating has begun.

Well, I wish I could say that spring is in the air here, too, but I'd be lying if I tried! <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I feels like WINTER out there! Brrrr! It snowed yesterday, not alot but it was very cold and windy and it was quite bitter to be outside and when I opened the front door to take in the paper this morning, there was even that winter *smell* in the air. Waaaa!

That said, I have decided that, in my class at least, winter is OVER, finito. We've taken down all our winter artwork and bulletin board borders and are beginning Spring. And today is the first day of March Break, with all of next week off, YAY!!! :rolling: :music: . SO, when we get back to school, on the 22nd, it surely WILL be spring....right? :angel:

Everyone around here is saying spring because we are finally feeling heat in the sun. You can stand on my front porch in the mid-afternoon and actually feel warmth. The very fact that the temp. is above freezing when the sun is out is the surest sign of spring.

We still have over two feet of snow on the ground, at least two months left that it can snow and I mean a lot, but it is spring none-the-less.

Rose

This afternoon while I was cleaning out the iris bed across the pond, I noticed that the geese had split into two groups. Two were at the upper end of the pond and four were down at the lower end. Then the two that were at the upper end started their "ready to fly" honking and took off over the water, over the dike, and on out over the valley.

Later I walked over to the neighbor's pond and sure enough there were the two geese. I'm sure it was mom and pop, probably needing some alone time from the kids <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> . But Oscar, Jasmine, Chester, and I could not find any signs of a nest. Either they've switched locations or they just aren't ready to nest yet. Then later this evening just before dark, mom and pop came back over to our pond. The younguns made such a racket. I think they were very glad to see them. It is so interesting to watch the interactions of these geese.