The sky is blue and the sun is shining.  Looks like another great day for Mother Nature to work on melting all the ice in the backyard.

I inspected the flower beds that have been freed from their icy jail.  The perennials are reaching for the sun as if stretching their stems and leaves from the frozen winter crush.  

I've been worrying about my strawberry patch.  Last summer was the first good crop of berries since I planted them.  There

were lots of runners; enough to make up a second berry bed.  The flood from my neighbor's house enveloped the plants with ice but it looks as though they all survived.  There are many young, green leaves coming through the soil.

The other observation I made was the amount of natural fertilizer left in my yard from the winter visitors.  Let's just say I won't be wearing footwear with treads in the backyard until the spring clean up is done.  The sun dries out all the 'pellets' and then the lawnmower chops them up, spreading the 'organic material' over the grass.  No need to buy fertilizer. 

The snowfall from the first day of spring has melted and the grass is beginning to show through in the backyard.  It's going to take a while for the remaining ice to melt.  The strawberry patch took the brunt of the neighbor's fiasco but it is bare now and the plants appear to have survived.  There is still four inches of ice in places but that is a positive as there was double that amount.

I've stayed off the trails due to the condition that they are in and the fact that I still cannot wear my backpack or hold up the camera.  My wildlife watching has been limited to the backyard or from the driver's seat of my vehicle.

I was going stir-crazy on Friday so I took a little trip to Elk Island National Park.  The bison were grazing in the Bison Loop.  The babies from last year were running and head- butting each other; obviously enjoying the fact that they do not have to walk through two feet of snow.

The Canada Geese are abundant and are searching out the best spots to nest.  The ice is breaking up on the ponds so the geese were happily taking a little swim.

I traveled to the north end of the park and decided to go on a little road trip.  The fields east of Lamont were still snow covered.  The ponds were still frozen over.  One lonely Canada Goose stood on the ice in the middle of a pond.  That scene would have made a great spring poster with a caption but there was no spot for me to pull over on the highway to stop and take a photo.

My trip ended in Vegreville.  I visited my favorite farm supply store and picked up the seeds for my garden and flower beds.  On the way out of town I stopped at one more store and I hit the jackpot.  I've been looking for a new pair of hiking boots.  I found my size and favorite color on the clearance rack.  They are the most comfortable boots I have ever had and I got them for more than half off!

The drive home was uneventful.  The deer were in the yard when I pulled in.  There were only two and they were new visitors.  Their size indicated that they were last year's babies.  That did not stop them from jumping over top of the barbed wire fence at the back of my yard.  They both cleared it with at least a foot to spare.

The starlings and the dark-eyed juncos are the most recent new feathered visitors to the feeders.  They are doing a good job of cleaning up all the seeds that were knocked to the ground during the winter.

Yesterday, an adult moose ran through the bush at the back of the yard.  The farm dogs must have been chasing it.  I thought it may stop in the willow thicket for a snack but it kept going.

The sun is out this morning and the temperature is supposed to be in the double digits so I'm hoping that more of that ice will melt and the water will run off.  I'm getting antsy to go for a walk in the woods.

I shook my head in disbelief when the emergency alert system messaged a snowfall warning on Thursday night.  I checked the weather website and there was nothing mentioned.  

I was very surprised, not disappointed,  to find about 4 inches of snow on the deck on Friday morning.  Happy first day of spring!  I was even more surprised when there was another 6 inches of snow on Saturday morning and even more on Sunday morning.

The yard was looking quite bare prior to this snowfall.  There were only a few icy remnants of winter remaining.  Today, everything is covered in a blanket of white.

My grand-daughters were over for the weekend so we took advantage of the snowfall.  There was castle building, volcano building, kicksledding, and skiing.  We created 'igloos' for the dinosaurs on the deck.  This spring snowfall provided a fun time for all!

 

All the weather forecasters had been talking about the aurora borealis and how it was to be very active.  On the evening of March 17 I stepped out on the deck with the hope of seeing a brilliant show.  There was color but it was very pale.  It was difficult to see the gentle waves moving through the air.  As the colors faded into the night, a falling star dropped through the sky.

Last night I remembered to go outside earlier in the evening.  The color was vivid.  It swirled and danced across the sky.  The neighbor a couple doors down has a yard light that was interfering with my sky-watching so I packed up my gear and drove to an open field about five kilometers from home.

I set up my tripod and camera.  The coyotes were howling.  The night was dark except for the light show happening across the sky.  The colors began as a band across the horizon, arched like a rainbow.  It was very hard to see at first but eventually the band got darker as it began moving and swirling.  

I watched the sky with the dancing light.  The stars twinkled amidst the colorful hues, creating a live, moving painting.  Mother Nature put on quite the show.  

As I was packing up my gear, I glanced to the heavens just as a falling star was coming down.  Not only did I witness a most beautiful display of the northern lights but I also witnessed a falling star each night.  I wonder if a lottery ticket is in order.  

 

The very entertaining backyard bluejays put on quite a show.  I put a handful of mixed nuts into a tray feeder.  When the birds found the treat, there was a lot of squawking going on.  At least four different jays took turns flying in from the tree tops to grab and go.  They took their treats to the highest branches to hide them for later.  It was amazing to see how many nuts each one could transport in one visit.

The feeder was on the deck in front of the patio doors so it was easy to view.  The in-coming birds were different sizes and different hues.  Some of them were brighter in color than others and some had fluffier feathers.

I've observed them in the fall after the leaves have dropped from the trees.  The jays would grab a nut, fly down to the grass and cover the it with a leaf.  This time, it appeared that they were hiding the nuts in the bark crevices.

The grosbeaks and finches are gone but the year round birds are still emptying the feeders and putting on a daily show while I wait for the summer birds to arrive.  There have been some sightings of robins but I have not seen them yet.

The geese are flying over, heading for the lake.  They came back too early.  There is still a thick layer of ice on the lake surface so they are making do with the small pools of water accumulating from the snow melt.  

I'm watching everyday for the return of cranes and swans.  Their calls can be heard for miles and their migration looks like a magical dance in the sky.  All signs are pointing to spring having sprung.  I guess the groundhog was correct in his prediction.

I can't seem to shake the 'bug' that has been with me since the beginning of February.  Last week, I couldn't stand not being on the trails and decided to take the kicksled out for one run before the snow melts.  Turns out that was not a good idea; cough and hoarseness are back but not as bad as before.  It's only happening now in the evening after a day of answering phones and meetings rather than all day long.  I'm hoping with the spring like weather that is happening now, that the 'bug' will leave with the melting snow.

Since I'm not on the trails, I've been settling for some short road trips to Elk Island Park and through the local countryside.  Many of my last drives resulted in not seeing a thing.  There's more wildlife action in my backyard than what I saw on my travels.  I thought my last trip out was going to be a bust until I was almost home.

My 'inner moose instinct' told me to take a different route home so I turned onto a township road a mile north of the one I usually travel.  I noticed a dark silhouette in the distance.  It was in the ditch so I slowed and moved closer until I could tell what it was.  There, along the roadside was a beautiful female moose with a yearling calf.  The calf was in the trees and not visible enough for photos but mama cooperated for my camera.  

I watched her for more than thirty minutes.  She traveled from willow to willow; feeding on the tender branches.  As she grabbed for the twigs, I got a good view of her teeth and I could hear the branches as she bent and broke them off.

Her coat was in great condition.  I saw a moose at Elk Island that had very little hair left due to a tick infestation.  This cow was very healthy and so was her calf. 

I drove home feeling very satisfied with my find.  The sun was shining and I decided to enjoy coffee on the deck.  Just as I sat down, the deer wandered into the yard and the birds came from the treetops to feed.  Mother Nature joined me for coffee.

I haven't been out to the trails for some exercise for weeks.  Laryngitis and a some sort of respiratory bug put me down for the count since the end of January.  The little bit of practice with the kicksled on the driveway would end in a coughing fit.  I was determined to try the sled on a trail today to see what would happen.

I left home at 10am.  The bright blue sky was cloudless.  It was a beautiful day.  I had decided to try out the kicksled on the Beaver Pond trail at Elk Island National Park. I picked that one because it is the flattest of those I visit the most.

I pulled into the parking lot as the lone vehicle there was leaving.  I was glad for that as it meant no witnesses to my first sled run.

The trail was icy but I had some small cleats with me.  I didn't think I needed the heavy duty ones but I was wrong.  The small cleats provided enough grip to get me up the hills but they sure did not slow me on the way down the hills.  This meant there were a few wipe outs and a little bit of road rash.

What fun it was trying to figure out how to use the sled.  It was great having the seat to use when I stopped for my snack break.  As I sat for a few minutes, I could hear the wind rustling the dry leaves on the branches.  The evergreen boughs moved back and forth filling the forest with a wonderful scent.

The chickadees, bluejays, crows and woodpeckers added their verses to the whistling wind's song.  It was a glorious day on the trail.  I was tempted to go around the loop one more time but opted for a bonfire at home instead.

I've used the new firepit only once last fall.  The warm temperatures melted all the snow off

the cover so I was able to get at it and at the wood supply with ease.  I enjoyed tending the fire from my lawn chair.  

As I watched the flames and listened to the chickadees, the deer showed up.   Two of them bounded into the yard and were half way to the grain dish when they realized that I was close by.  One turned around and went back to the trees.  One decided to chance it.  It was entertaining to watch the others as they peeked through the tree branches to see if I was going to move.

The birds were busy at the feeders.  The grosbeaks are gone as are the redpolls.  The feeders are now visited by the year round feathered friends; chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers.

At the end of the day, I didn't feel too bad.  I must finally be on the mend.  I hope that I can take the sled out a couple more times before all the snow is gone.  The next time I hit the trail, I'll wait to go out in the afternoon after the snow has softened up.  That should make it easier to steer and cut down on the road rash.

I had my grand-daughters over the weekend.  What fun we had watching the deer in the yard, giving rides on the new kicksled, x-country skiing and sledding.  The weather was perfect for our outings.  We even had time for an indoor picnic by the woodstove fire in the cookhouse at Blackfoot.  Back at the house the girls were sniffing my coat and telling me that I smelled like smoke.

The weather took a turn for the worse on Monday.  The wind howled and the snowflakes fell.  I watched a magpie attempt to fly across the width of the yard.  The gusts made the flight very challenging.  Branches from the willow tree next door littered the backyard.  At least the tree didn't come down on the fence like the one across the road.  My neighbor has some repairs to do.

The horses that pasture in the open field on my way to work were huddled against the bush for shelter.  Snow drifted off the field and across the road creating drifts from north to south.

Today was windy but at least the sky was blue.  I left for work early and stopped at the mailbox.  I was already back inside my vehicle when I felt my sixth sense.  When this happens, I need to make sure that my camera is on the seat beside me because it means there will be something to take a photo of.

I came up to the stop sign and noticed tracks in the drifts.  They were large and deep which meant that a moose was close by.  I couldn't tell which direction it was traveling in so kept watch as I made my way north on the range road.

It wasn't long before not one, not two but three moose crossed the road in front of me.  What beauties!  I managed to get some distant photos of them.  As I passed by the path that they took across the road, I glanced to the west.  Two elk were feeding on some old hay bales that were abandoned at the edge of the field.  I sure am glad that I pulled the camera out when that sixth sense started tingling.