Last night the Better Half noticed a chorus of peepers and wood frogs. After she told me about it, I stepped onto the deck and heard Spring's first frogs in Minnesota's East Central North Country. Frog mating "songs" may have been heard earlier elsewhere [the calendar is based on the Driftless Area], but Springsong croaked last night in our neighborhood.
Several years ago we were surprised and delighted to discover a tree frog on the screen porch screens on March 30th. It seemed very early but that year was probably warmer than usual. Today's temperatures are about half of what yesterday's were and the "breezes" are even stronger. Tomorrow, temperature-wise, March will leave like a lion (cub) with highs just barely above freezing. Then it's an April Fool's joke with more cold and Spring finally returns by week's end. We are truly looking forward to the kind of weather that's actually a pleasure to be out in. Maybe the end of windchill season will settle for April 1st this year. That'd be nice and we bet the frogs would enjoy not getting covered by skim ice each night, too.
March 30: tree frog on screen
Photo by J. Harrington |
By Wendy Battin
Amphibious, at homeon the surfacetension, inover my head, notout of my depth, not deepdeep deep,not in far. Nothigh and dry, noteven in treetops,where I sing waterinto the root-hairs.It seeks me, will notforsake me.Hand over hand it climbs.It breaksthe first law of water,all for my song.Into the trunk and up, it greensthe leaves that the leaves may be-emerald me.The leaves breathe it out and I drink,then singlest the water forget to riseand the world be kindling.
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