Signs of Spring

Last week, spring was popping up everywhere.  I can't believe the difference today.  Here are pics a week ago Sunday.  I'll post what it looks like now, in just a week!  I can't believe how many 70 and 80 degree days we are having.  We are blooming early!

We've been seeing Robins for a long time now.  I understand some may never leave the area over the winter, but I don't usually see Robins until mid-March, not in Jan and Feb!

More spring photos to come!

First Day of Spring

Spring is here.  Birds were chirping as soon as the sun started coming up this morning.  We had a little rain yesterday, but today is a day of a steady, light rain.  We started getting green grass last week, the buds were starting to form and open this past weekend, and I saw a few flowers. With today's rain, I'm sure everything will be sprouting and getting greener.  Geese have long left the area.  Winter is officially over today, at least on paper.

Some history about when the first day of spring is every year:

The March equinox occurs the moment the sun crosses the celestial equator – the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator – from south to north. This happens either on March 19, 20 or 21 every year. On any other day of the year, the Earth's axis tilts a little away from or towards the Sun. But on the two equinoxes, the Earth's axis neither tilts away from nor towards the Sun.

Today is the spring or vernal equinox, with the sun shining directly on the equator, and when the day and night are each approximately 12 hours long (with the actual time of equal day and night, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring a few days before the vernal equinox). The Sun crosses the celestial equator going northward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west.

There are also the summer solstice, which is the longest day of the year, and the Sun reaches its most northern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting shorter.

During fall, or autumnal equinox, day and night are each about 12 hours long (with the actual time of equal day and night, in the Northern Hemisphere, occurring a few days after the autumnal equinox). The Sun crosses the celestial equator going southward; it rises exactly due east and sets exactly due west.

And winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, when the Sun reaches its most southern point in the sky at local noon. After this date, the days start getting longer.

The four seasons are determined by changing sunlight (not heat!)—which is determined by how our planet orbits the Sun and the tilt of its axis.

Robins on the Last Day of January

I have never seen as many robins as I did on the very last day of January!  They were everywhere.  Most of the birds were trying to drink water as the ice melted.

Can you find this camoflauged robin?

I love the colors of this speckled bird.

This robin better take advantage of the warmer day and sun.

Winter is coming back.

Spring

Today. March 20. The first day of Spring. But you wouldn’t know it by what it looks like outside.

Snow. 20’s. Wind. Frozen water hoses again!

Cold weather. How can it go from 60’s on Thursday to 30’s on Friday to 20’s today? I was colder today doing chores than all winter when it was in the minuses. Can it be because the snow is melting and everything is thawing, and the dampness is here?

But this also means robins.


Geese flying north.


Green grass starting to grow.


Horses shedding. Horses lying in the sun!


My horses seem to be eating more now than they did all winter. The mares are probably coming in heat! But I noticed the cold is making them shiver. Eating more hay will keep them warm. I hope our tractor gets fixed and I get round bales back out to them. I have had to feed them square bales this week. I don’t like carrying 60-70# square bales, in the mud, and in the cold!



Birds singing. This past week, I have noticed how much the birds are singing. As I was taking pictures of the robins, I noticed how much they sing. They don’t like to sit still very long when they know predators are near. Am I as much a predator as a cat?



Geese flying north. Do you know that when you try taking pictures of them, they are flying very fast? I love watching them fly. I love seeing how they make a V. Do you know that geese are loyal and mate for life? Why did people lost that trait?

29 years ago, there was snow on the ground in Pennsylvania. 29 years ago, I didn’t notice. Today is the first day of spring. Tomorrow is my 29th Anniversary.