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.