Seasonal transitions

We must be coming on to summer, despite the frost warnings that persist. The snow blade is off the tractor and the mower deck is back on. At least one male, rose-breasted grosbeak is at the feeder, joining several purple finches, or are they house finches? The dogs got their annual heart worm, etc. checkup at the vets this morning. Come to think of it, meteorological summer begins right after Memorial Day, on June 1. That's just a little more than three weeks away. But first I need to shake this spring/summer cold so the better weather can really be enjoyed.

male rose-breasted grosbeak

Photo by J. Harrington

It's getting more and more difficult to find blue (or cloudy) sky through the rapidly filling in tree-top leaf growth. Meanwhile, I'm still cleaning up last year's load of oak leaves that are fallen all over the yard. I'm not sure if I'd like letting the front yard go entirely "au naturel," but the part natural, part suburban look isn't satisfying either and I still haven't found the combination of tools to make it relatively easy to clean up.

We've been letting a friend hunt turkeys in the back field. He had fun this morning, I'm told. He saw half-a-dozen hens; heard one or two gobblers. He'll be back. My coughing and wheezing and hacking with a cold has no business being in a turkey blind trying to call. May the rest of the year be as pleasant as a visit to

The Pasture

By Robert Frost

I'm going out to clean the pasture spring; 

I'll only stop to rake the leaves away 

(And wait to watch the water clear, I may): 

I sha'n't be gone long.—You come too. 

I'm going out to fetch the little calf 

That's standing by the mother. It's so young, 

It totters when she licks it with her tongue. 

I sha'n't be gone long.—You come too.

********************************************
Thanks for visiting. Come again when you can.
Please be kind to each other while you can.