Signs of spring!

Yes, it was snowing again yesterday, and they expect more tomorrow. But our neighbors are sugaring off, and I saw a northern mockingbird flashing his tail feathers as I drove to work this morning. Also, the crocuses by the bank are finally budding, and, this past weekend, the bluebird pair was investigating the upper nest box. The male's in breeding plumage - a rich, dark blue. Maybe we'll have baby bluebirds soon!

There is still ice on the pond at the bottom of my parent's drive, but, when I went for a walk, I saw a beaver swimming in the open water by the road. He was quite calm - I watched for several minutes as he swam in oval patterns, apparently chewing something, before diving under the slushy ice. Neat! This only the second time in my life I've been that close to a beaver. They used to be rare in CT.