Yesterday was a most unusual day —  the morning dawned it’s typical grey and cold self.  A tiny ray of pink sunlight as the mighty sun rose over the Paonia Mountains then quickly disappeared behind thick heavy clouds.  Although, the temperature said we weren’t freezing, just above, the air was very chilled.

Still Terry and I took the dogs and the four-wheelers out to check on the fences and see how many little calves have made their arrival.  (So far there are four-no photos as of yet).

The ground was a tick bog of nasty, soft mud so we didn’t go out on-to the land, staying on the farm and ditch roads.  Tracks across farming ground right now would make huge (AND I MEAN HUGE) ruts – plus pack the ground in the middle of the ruts.

Closer to lunch a soft gentle breeze sprung-up fresh from the snowbanks on the Uncompahgre (Un-come-pah-gray, accent on the “pah”), the breeze intensified as the hour wore on moving into kite flying strength, after that a true fast moving wind…someone told Terry that he heard it was moving at 28 m.p.h.  I have no way of knowing; yet it did clear our skies of all the heavy, low-laying clouds!

By four o’clock in the afternoon we had glorious blue skies completely free of any clouds! Who could stay in the house with that to look upon?

Out we went, the dogs, Terry, and I to relish this delightful site.

It felt like SPRING!  Just a hint of spring, but enough to know that the switch has occurred! Somewhere, at some poin,t the earth creaked and groaned and inched itself up and over just a tad to take off the edge of winter.

While we were about we saw hundreds and hundreds of Canada Geese, way, way up in the sky gathering and gathering and gathering….no v formed for some time.  It was like the call had gone out…”IT IS TIME! Gather your self, your family, and all your belonging and head to the north! Warmth is coming back to the land!  Come, Come–let us all go home!”

(I couldn’t get a photo of all of them, there were just too many)

We watched as they flew up from the earth then gathered together, honking and talking about who is to lead, then breaking into several V shapes–always going higher and higher until we couldn’t hear them anymore.

Then they became tiny dots winging their way home—home to the north—home!

I’m sure we still have some left here and the Sandhill Cranes waiting for another signal, but for now…those that left flung themselves up into the sky with joy knowing that along the way they will stop and rest once more waiting for the signal that spring is getting even closer at their breeding grounds way up North from us!

Then we noticed that just today the willows were showing sap running back into their grey limbs and the red-twig bushes were showing even more life, moving along we saw they green of the winter wheat and how the cattle were favoring those fields the most.

Yes, Spring is coming!  For Sure! The land and the animals and the birds have announced the return of warmth and lessening of cold!

Your very happy friend,

Linda