Anchors Away and the Coming Spring

The five photographs above should be read from bottom to top. My bias is toward the more charismatic creatures, but the raccoons have their place as well. The camera captured this quiet, simple moment in the lives of two or our neighbors last night. In the fourth photo, you can see the faint paw prints the first raccoon left in the snow on the ice to the left after he stepped down off the bridge. The second one came along early this morning and left a multitude of wet paw prints that looked still fresh to me when I was down there around 10:00 this morning.

This past Tuesday, February 16, 2010, David was sworn into the United States Navy, and thus begins an exciting, promising new chapter in his life. On March 7, he departs for Newport, Rhode Island, where he will train for twelve weeks for his commission as an officer. He has a very healthy attitude toward all the challenges and opportunities ahead, and I was pleased and made more confident when he told me he was "pumped" about his decision. So am I--even if I do miss him already.

Quite unwisely I am allowing myself to count the days to the vernal equinox (27) and talk aloud and even in public about the increasing signs of spring as if we won't experience any setbacks as this spring comes in. It will be my fault. Eleven days ago I sent up four mallards from the river and heard a kingfisher, which really surprised me. There were kinglets in the cedar tops. Twice in the past week or so I heard and saw a shrike. When I first heard the single, trilly note the bird was sending out from the top of a maple, I knew it was familiar, but I could not conjure enough memory to identify him. Then he posed for me closer to the house. The same thing happened with the first bluebird a few days ago. I knew I knew that plummy warble, but I did not have the full memory back until one flew right out of its call into my view. Six days ago, David called from Akron to report a large flock of robins on the foot-deep snow, apparently feeding on small fruits still clinging to some bushes near their apartment. No sign of them here yet, but I'll bet they're near.

Great horned owls have been especially talkative in the early mornings recently. We'll be hoping a pair will select the nest box in the edge of the aspen stand to raise this year's owlets.

When I saw a muskrat in the river a few days ago, that brought to 30 the number of mammal species we have certain knowledge of in this place.