Although these chairs are made of plastic, their bright colors made me feel like Spring was closer. Even as the snow melt flowed off the metal roof!
Warning – Not for the squeamish!
On the way home, we spied a Bald Eagle eating a hatchery raised Steelhead on the bank of the Methow River. We wondered how the bird got it. Was it stolen from a fisherman who’d left a prize catch sitting in the snow? Was it a fish that had died after being caught and escaping from a line? The Bald Eagles around here are primarily scavengers, not killing their own food. However it was procured, this bird had a very good meal before flying off with the head.
The first day of Spring featured cloudy, breezy weather bringing in sleet, rain and snow. We got out for some birding with one of the highlights being Sandhill Cranes and Tundra Swans on Cameron Lake Road east of the lower Okaongan Valley. The birds flew right across the road, giving us excellent views and a good opportunity to hear them calling back and forth. We estimated there were 200 to 300 cranes and maybe 25 swans.
Some days the sun shines and the promise of spring is everywhere. Other days, like today, we wake up to snow and then rain, gray skies that do not help melt the heavy snow or dry up the mud. Wednesday was a day that featured the promise of spring with birds singing and outstanding views and water rushing down the road, creatiing rivulets and puddles and imitations of Lake Missoula flooding everything in its path.
Says Phoebe
Much is said about the four seasons of wonderful weather that everyone loves in the Methow. However, few talk about the fifth season – Mud Season. This is a time when folks flee the valley. Vacations are planned around this time of year. Any sane/smart/well-adjusted person finds some reason to be somewhere, nearly anywhere else, this time of year. Snow continues to be piled all around houses; some roads and many driveways alternate between ice (in the dark of the night and early morning), slush, and then mud. Skiing condtions might be good, but more likely a skier will be faced with slow, jerking slop. Classic skiers rejoice, letting skate skiers know that their season is longer and more adaptable to unpredictable weather. The ice rink is closed. Alpine skiers enjoy the few remaining days at the Loup, knowing that the lifts will soon cease to operate despite plenty of snow in the mountains. And some of us yearn for Spring and gardens and look forward to next Winter.
Where do you park the car?
Don’t go out without your mud boots.
The promise of Daffodils
and Strawberries too
My Everyday Photos 