Yes it has finally arrived so I’ll stop grousing about winter’s never ending clutch on Minnesota. Migrating birds are here too including thrashers, warblers and rose crested grosbeak.

We’re in the freeze thaw cycle of spring with another 4-5 inch coating last night. Our forecast for the end of the week: bring on the thaw with temps near 70!

…thank you very much. Nothing would make me happier than to use the cliched winter’s last gasp but that’s hardly the case in Minnesota as another hearty snowfall confounds just about everyone.

This Muskrat moved from yard to yard for the little bit of green turf grass available. The wet weather might be his only savor from the equally hungry fox, house cats, eagles and hawks typically patrolling this neighborhood. I’m guessing this is a “pup” who will grow into those big feet.

…bring cut flowers from the supermarket. Ok this is totally cheating but it’s way too wet to take my camera gear outside. Tulip tips have poked through the mulch along the “sunny” side of the house but today they’re covered with four inches of slush. Last spring many of us were grousing about the heat. The Minnesota spring forecast for the rest of April: highly variable with patches of uncertainty.

Just yesterday robins were pulling bugs out of our partially thawed lawn. Today even the Juncos have that 1000 mile stare as snow continues to fall here in Minnesota.

After a winter of hanging around the neighborhood this American red squirrel has discovered our bird feeder and is working the oak leaf background to his advantage.

It happens in a blink of an eye. 50 and sunny turns snow into a dirty translucent, puddles and rivers come from nowhere and brown leaves turn an even darker shade of brown all part of the natural momentum we call SPRING!

We’ve seen a number of small Canada Geese flocks migrating north in the last few days. These four gave us a flyover during our walk around the pond as if to ask “has anyone seen any open water?”.