Signs of Sprrrr… Nope… Brrrrrrr!

With May around the corner, you’d think spring would be here.  Or at least visibly on its way.

I’ll let you make the call.  Here are some notes.

Most days are in the 30’s which isn’t terrible.  It could be colder!

Nary a bud has popped on the trees.  I see some swelling at the tips of the maples, but no real buds yet.  That’s surprising because, most springs, we have a few days that are warm enough to trick some of the trees into starting to bud early.  Not this year!

Nothing is even popping from the ground!  Nothing native, at least.  I saw some tulips emerging from North Park, but no new wild plants even dare.  I don’t blame them.  The last batch of snow just melted!

We got snow half of the days this week, too.  Yeah…

The snow is melting, though!  The trails are starting to clear.  Patches of snow that have yet to turn to mud leap frog with the walkable spots.

And the runoff has mostly subsided as the woods are clearing up.  Not a whole lot of rain, so the runoff hasn’t been as exciting as most years.

Our friends with hearty leaves are standing proud, though!  The green leaves of the pipsissewa, arbutus and bearberry shine in the sun — when the sun comes out!

Pipsissewa amid last year’s ground cover

Let’s get off the ground for a bit, and into the air, where we will notice some bird migration.  A few V’s of geese have flown over.  Sandhill cranes squawk high up in the sky.  I’ve seen a merganser couple swimming together.  And a suspected lonely loon.  Not too many of the colorful little guys, though.  I think it’s still too cold for them!

And how about that lake?  Well, the bell buoy just got delivered a few days ago!  That’s always a pivotal moment for the town.  Lake Fanny Hooe is still mostly still frozen over.  Medora (I’m guessing!) is still frozen.  Manganese might be starting to open up.  The road up there is still a bit icy.

Coast Guard buoy drop off

Geez, what else can I tell you about how it’s still chilly and uneventful?  There is no word yet about when we might be able to open up businesses and parks again, but we’ll let you know.

In the mean time, stay smart and be safe.  We sure will be happy to see you then!