It rained all night and on and off during the day. The damp chill did not make walking possible for my arthritic knee.
I thought I would stay inside all day and wait for the next snowstorm, due tonight, but it didn't work out that way. What I had to do was to go out and buy cat food for Rascal. He was down to one can and I pictured how miserable he would be when he ran out during the storm and how he would pass his misery on to me. No, nothing for it, I got the car out.
But once I was driving, I thought I might as well go take a look to see what was happening in the countryside. I went to the marsh on Van Patten Road east of Shiocton. I found the swamp was melting and full of water, readying itself for the migratory birds. I saw a northern harrier and a rough-legged hawk, but so far nothing else except sparrows and crows. The muskrats were wisely still wintering in their dens. I kept expecting to see the cheerful little hooded merganser in his Easter bonnet, but he's still likely two weeks away.
I drove further to see the Shioc and Wolf Rivers. The ice is thinning with about three inches of water on top. Anytime now the ice will crack and float away. Now is the time snowmobilers should be putting their noisy machines away for the summer, but there are always some that go out for a run after a case or two of beer and wind up in the drink. Just yesterday the police had to rescue two on Lake Winnebago. Is it so impossible to heed the warnings of the Department of Natural Resources?
On the way home, just east of Black Creek, I spotted something in a field. I turned the car around and got out the binoculars. Sure enough, there was a flock of over twenty big turkeys. Somehow they get through our cold winters and thrive.
Once home, I was able to wade through the remaining snow in the back yard to fill the bird feeders.
So tonight Rascal and I sit watching the bunnies back there, wondering if it will be snow or no snow. At this time of the year, the forecasters are never really sure. It always is a matter of the temperature. Slightly above 32 degrees F. (O degrees Celsius) and we'll have rain. Right at the freezing mark and it's sleet. Drop further and it's snow. The prognosticators I consulted forecast anything from one inch to six inches of snow. What we do know is that no matter how much, it will melt over the next week.
I thought I would stay inside all day and wait for the next snowstorm, due tonight, but it didn't work out that way. What I had to do was to go out and buy cat food for Rascal. He was down to one can and I pictured how miserable he would be when he ran out during the storm and how he would pass his misery on to me. No, nothing for it, I got the car out.
But once I was driving, I thought I might as well go take a look to see what was happening in the countryside. I went to the marsh on Van Patten Road east of Shiocton. I found the swamp was melting and full of water, readying itself for the migratory birds. I saw a northern harrier and a rough-legged hawk, but so far nothing else except sparrows and crows. The muskrats were wisely still wintering in their dens. I kept expecting to see the cheerful little hooded merganser in his Easter bonnet, but he's still likely two weeks away.
I drove further to see the Shioc and Wolf Rivers. The ice is thinning with about three inches of water on top. Anytime now the ice will crack and float away. Now is the time snowmobilers should be putting their noisy machines away for the summer, but there are always some that go out for a run after a case or two of beer and wind up in the drink. Just yesterday the police had to rescue two on Lake Winnebago. Is it so impossible to heed the warnings of the Department of Natural Resources?
On the way home, just east of Black Creek, I spotted something in a field. I turned the car around and got out the binoculars. Sure enough, there was a flock of over twenty big turkeys. Somehow they get through our cold winters and thrive.
Once home, I was able to wade through the remaining snow in the back yard to fill the bird feeders.
So tonight Rascal and I sit watching the bunnies back there, wondering if it will be snow or no snow. At this time of the year, the forecasters are never really sure. It always is a matter of the temperature. Slightly above 32 degrees F. (O degrees Celsius) and we'll have rain. Right at the freezing mark and it's sleet. Drop further and it's snow. The prognosticators I consulted forecast anything from one inch to six inches of snow. What we do know is that no matter how much, it will melt over the next week.
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