We had a record temperature (for this year) of +11C this weekend.  Only -3C at night, too.  A mix of cloud and wind kept the overall feeling of warmth away, but sometimes it was sunny and absolutely gorgeous.  The ice on the ponds is getting pretty rotten especially around the sunny edges.  On the sunny slopes there is even a bit of green grass starting to show.

The birds are loving it.  There was a flood or robins, a couple of fox sparrows, and both white-crowned and gold-crowned sparrows.  Yesterday I heard a ruffed grouse drumming and a robin singing for the first time.  Best of all were the sweet, clear notes of a song sparrow floating from the bare-branched willows in the still early morning.

I finally bit the bullet and started on next year’s wood supply.

The trees I have cut up so far are already down; some were piled in short lengths; some  were lying as they fell.  I absolutely hate chainsawing: the noise, stink, dust, backache, frustration when I have to pull a thousand times to start it, and the fear.  I have used chainsaws for 30 years and am still frightened of them.

Yesterday evening there were piled clouds and a faint rumble of thunder.  A few pellets of hail fell.  This morning slabs of fog lay about the mountains.  Here is Middle Mountain being coy.