Spring, sort of

April is almost over. And after over four feet of fresh snow this month alone I am glad to see it go. Last Saturday morning I woke up to 2F (-16C) which was damned chilly. A week later here I am at 55F on a cloudy morning. I know, bitchin' about the weather is nothing new, but I was able to take advantage of the situation and do something destructive. The last several, well more like five or ten, years I have wanted to get rid of the olde chicken coop between this house and the olde farm house. It looked like this.

Of course it is still surrounded by over a foot of snow. I looked inside yesterday evening after feeding everyone and saw a dead fox inside. It hadn't been there long, but probably starved to death as it appeared to be young. I decided it needed a proper funeral and so did the chicken coop. This is how it looked.

So much for the olde chicken coop. I believe it was from the 1930's judging by its construction. There was still a little smoldering this morning and now I have to find a home for the corrugated metal roof that is now lying on the ground.

As the snow melted this week it exposed some of the carnage of the highway from the winter. Road killed deer are plentiful. There are those who can take advantage of the situation and find some nourishment. I'm talking about that intrepid carrion feeder and national symbol, the bald eagle (they don't know bald, I know bald!).

There are usually adults as well as immature birds at these open air restaurants. How can I tell they're immature? By the way they act! It's pretty obvious. The one on the left has done something juvenile and is fleeing the scene. There are things one can learn on the daily commute to work.

We've had a number of Spring birds showing up, but the snow and frozen ponds have got them doing some strange things. The snow buntings have usually gone north by now, but they have found our feeders instead.

The Cooker and Stitch took two of our geldings down to the Great Minnesota Horse Expo at the state fair grounds this weekend and left me all alone to fend for myself. A friend suggested I spend some time naked in this circumstance. I took that advice to heart yesterday morning. I got out of the shower at about 6 a.m. and looked out the bathroom window at a raccoon heading for the back yard and climbing over the fence. I quick ran outside to scare it off (the chickens were still locked in their coop, thankfully). Hearing me come out the front door was enough to send it scurrying. Had it turned and seen me naked on the deck I am sure it would have had a fatal heart attack. It was smart enough not to look. I have heard they are clever beasts.

As the snow slowly melts into the Great Lakes basin I bid you adieu for now.