Another chilly gray day

The last time the first week of April was this cold and rainy was in 2003. I remember it well as at the end of March that year I had major surgery and the first week of my recovery spent at home was just like this. It was perfect as I was on heavy meds and sleeping most of the time and really needed to rest and get healed. On doctors orders I took a short walk three times a day, each day walking a little further.

By the second week of my recovery the weather had cleared and I spent the next 5 weeks in a wonderful state of rest and relaxation. I took daily walks, hired a young man to help me get the garden planted; since I wasn't allowed to lift anything, and spent the remainder of the time bird and nature watching . It was grand really, to have permission to do nothing but what I wanted for 6 weeks.

Not the case this year with all my new obligations, but I'm hopeful that the cold weather is passing and the next weeks will bring warm and sunny days as we expect and deserve in the month of April.

I heard my first Northern Parula warbler of the season singing on my walk to work this morning. I joke that the Parula is my nemesis in birdwatching- a distinct call makes me search for this bird that loves to hang out in the highest tops of the poplar trees and it's so small that it can easily sequester behind leaves and be VERY hard to spot. He is worth the search though, a very pretty little fellow with yellow breast, orange-brown collar, and blue grey back.

The forest is filling with a green and pastel haze that will soon obliterate the long views I've been enjoying since October, green-up time is coming fast.