The Return of Shamu

 
Here it is! The pack's been packed away since 2010, but there are two short sections of the upcoming hike that Marie and I will need to backpack due to lack of road access to spot cars for day hikes.

Marie has some back problems, and had decided she couldn't backpack any more. But, we are going to pack light, and since the stretches are short we won't have to lug a full 5-6 days of food. We think this is do-able. I love to backpack, but that doesn't change the fact that I haven't done any since 2010.

So today, I got Shamu out and loaded it up with 28 pounds of stuff (bags of sugar and flour, large water bottles), and hiked around out back for 30 minutes. Can we say "out of shape?" Made my hips hurt. I'll need to be quite serious about hiking every day and working up to at least 35 pounds.



Very, very slowly, spring is trying to crawl back. Down by the creek one marsh marigold is trying to bloom.



And the tops of the apple trees are decorated with meadow larks, although he was chilly, and not singing.



In other news, I finished the cleanup from the roof job, and worked a little bit on a shed that has to come down. Mostly assessing how on earth I can do that, safely.

Hike Planning Report

Worked some more on the itinerary. Have all maps now, and it's all done except for some possible small tweaks. Planned the food for the hike. Got out Shamu and hiked 30 minutes with 28 pounds.

	See The Meadowlarks Arrive
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The Meadowlarks Arrive in Time for More Cold and Wet

 
Of course, I heard it before I saw it, but the meadowlarks are back. I took a short walk this afternoon after the rain stopped for a bit, and the lovely songs followed me back to the house. Here's one handsome singer.



He may look drab from the side, but check out the front view!



It's supposed to rain and snow tomorrow and then rain for eight or nine more days. The larks may be sorry they came back so soon!

	See Spring Overload is Beginning
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Spring Overload is Beginning!

I'm still longing for green, but the meadowlarks are finding things to sing about. Getting a good picture of one seems to elude my skills, but I caught one in mid-song, at least. Suddenly there are things to see and hear everywhere! Green still isn't evident, but finally the earth is beginning to warm. I could smell it!



Staying inside simply hasn't been possible. We haven't gotten that wet week that was promised (we do need the rain), but it means that I just HAVE to go out. Saw the first skunk cabbage of the year on Tuesday. And, I bring you a very short audio treat.



That pond used to be a wetland (technically, it still is) until the city decided it should be a lawn. You can see how well that works in the spring. But, this short clip is great because you just have the one frog singing- great for ID help. I think I have that Chorus Frog learned for good.

It was supposed to rain today, so I was resigned to working all day. Ha! The afternoon was in the high 50's and dry. I couldn't stay in. So I went exploring a trail that I hadn't been on before. It's only unofficial... but I found a nice loop! It goes along the Pere Marquette River from the Maple Leaf Access and back via a sand road.



This is one of the places where you can look down and see the river curling back on itself. I have to be good and show you only one of each "thing," or we'll never finish, but it was really nice. I didn't even need a sweatshirt (first time this year), the sun was out, WOW.



Here is a spring "bloomer." I should say "fruiter," since this the the fruiting body of a fungus, the scarlet cup, Sarcoscypha coccinea. It's quite common, but it always makes me smile when I find it.

This has been quite a pile of varied stuff, but every little new bit of color or sound is a huge joy!

See Quiet Backwater See Meadowlark- A Glimpse

Birds This Spring

I was thinking about doing a list of the birds I've seen or heard in my backyard so far this spring anyway, and just in time to make the list, the meadowlark showed up! Can you see it. Let's go in closer.



It, and two friends, flew in to this apple tree. I had to take the telephoto all the way out to improve on it.


Here is my backyard list for March, the good and the bad:

• Crows
• Starlings
• Robins
• Bluebirds
• Red-wing blackbirds
• Cardinal
• Ovenbird
• Song Sparrow
• Red-tail Hawk
• Goldfinch
• Meadowlark
• Chickadees

Here's the best one of the meadowlark.

See Meadowlark- A Glimpse

Meadowlark - A Glimpse

Well, I tried retaking the pics I wanted to show you the other day. They would have made a nice Easter post. But there are clearly things I don't understand about the macro feature of the new camera. It keeps focusing on the background not the item I want you to see.

Meanwhile, look who I finally captured! These aren't really good pictures. I was just a little too far away. But you can consider it a hint of a potentially better picture down the road. The meadowlarks like our mostly open field with a few scattered trees a lot.

Hike Planning Report

I really, really wanted to get the first draft of our custom trail guide finished. But one of the books I'm taking info from is really, really lousy, and hard to work with. I still have 1.5 days to go, but that means there are 12.5 days done. Then I have to check that against the area that burned a couple of years ago (guide will NOT be accurate in that section), and figure out why I have a mileage discrepancy with my spread sheet. But it's coming along. Hiked 1.5 miles with 38 pounds.

See My Bluebird of Happiness

I Heard the Meadowlark

 

I haven't seen one yet, but this morning I began to hear the meadowlarks calling in our field.

Meanwhile, as you can see, I was not patient enough with the Easter Cactus. It needed just one more day for the blossom to fully open.



And here are some "Blue Ice" crocus from the rock garden. I'm afraid the moles have finished off most of the bulbs, but for this week, we get some happy little flowers!

	See Springtime In and Near My Kitchen for earlier buds of the Easter Cactus.
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