Farewell April

April is a promise that May is bound to keep.  

~Hal Borland

As the sun set on the final day of April, I bid it farewell and look forward to the arrival of May.  Surely "Spring" will truly arrive and stick around this month?  

Ice Age

Hmm ... I think I mentioned there might be a few of us out on the Canadian Prairies questioning global warming and indeed thinking that the next ice age is upon us!  Well, our few short days of spring like weather must have been a tease!  What started as a drop of rain here and there ended up coming down more in the form of snow!

The forecast is calling for more snow flurries overnight with a low of -6C (21F).  Add in the blasted windchill and it will feel like -14C (6F).  "Yuck" is about the only thing I can say!  

Goodbye Weekend ...

The weekend came and went ... just like the warm weather and clear skies!  It was much cooler today with a mix of snow & rain in the forecast for tomorrow.  

Wind

The wind shows us how close to the edge we are.  

~Joan Didion

To say it was "breezy" today is a bit of an understatement!  Although the day started off rather calm and nice, by late morning the wind was getting up and by the afternoon it was just plain unenjoyable despite being 18 degrees Celcius!  However, the snow continues to melt and we certainly have plenty of those prairie pothole sloughs filled to the brim!

Sweet Swans ...

The geese seem to have migrated north but there is still a few Trumpeter and Tundra Swans on the move.  I'm not sure which these were but quickly got a glimpse as they flew overhead while out checking cows this morning.  There is certainly a beauty in seeing swans ... graceful on land and in flight!  We enjoyed an absolutely gorgeous Friday!  We reached a high of 22C or 72F!  Our large group of heifers started calving today and they couldn't have chosen a better day to start!  Have a fabulous weekend everyone ... I think spring is officially here to stay!

Spring in Black and White

Another gorgeous spring day!  Pinch me!  We reached a high of +16C (61F) and the snow is disappearing rather quickly.  However, it's leaving behind that dull, grey/brown landscape so I was playing with some long exposures and black and white imagery today!  For the most part ... the cows cooperated!

HEAT WAVE!

Woo Hoo!

We managed to hit 12 degrees Celcius today!!!

And with 12 degrees Celcius, good things happen on the prairies!  The snow was certainly melting and I actually found lil' crocus heads peaking out from that cold prairie soil and specks of GREEN!  It was a beautiful day indeed!  The cows were scattered about the hilltops, all soaking up the sun and I was fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of my elusive Merlin (Falco columbarius).

The Merlin was a distance away but considering I usually see him flying away at high speeds, I was quite happy to capture a glimpse of him!  The weatherman is promising a few more days of WARM, Spring temperatures!  Let's hope this continues!  

A Moose Morning and Spring Skies

Basking in the morning sun, this female moose wasn't worried about me as long as I didn't block the sun's rays.

The prairie sky was lit up with fast moving clouds this afternoon.  At one point, we reached a high of 8C.  Yes, the big sloughs and lakes are slowly starting to thaw.  Eventually the cold wind brought more cloud cover and the temperature dropped but the sun is expected to return tomorrow with dare I say ... 'double digit' temperatures!  Let's keep our fingers crossed!  

Soaking Up the Morning Sun on Earth Day

Curled up on the hillside, this coyote was certainly enjoying a nap in the morning sun!  In fact a good long, morning stretch was required before wandering off!  The sun, blue sky and above freezing temperatures have returned and the wind was not howling!  My American Robin also returned (I spotted one in the yard before the snow storm back on the 13th) and posed for me as I got back to the yard from checking cows!  Perhaps 'Earth Day' and 'Spring' go hand in hand!

On the Fly ...

Taking off and landing ... I swear we witnessed over 10,000 snowbirds in one field alone while 1000's were flying past overhead!  It's days like this that I wish I owned my dream lens!  However, the old Tamron has to limp me through!  Snow Geese were not the only thing that seemed to be falling from the sky today.  We had a mix of sun, COLD wind and the odd snow flurry throughout the day.  As we approach the end of April, I just hope that this cold spring weather decides to have a change in heart!  Have a great week everyone!

Saturday Snow

This seems to be a recurring theme lately!  We enjoy a day ... sometimes even two, of what potentially could be 'SPRING,' then Saturday rolls around and the snow flies!!!  Well, I am happy to report that the snow didn't last ALL day, thank goodness!  Today, we were in town volunteering for the Scout's Bottle Drive.  Both of our boys have been involved with Scouts for a few years now.  Despite the inclement weather this morning, the kids did a great job canvasing and gathering bottles and by early afternoon, the snow had stopped and the sun was shining!  In a world full of 'entitlement' issues, instilling hard work and volunteerism in our youth is critical ... even when the weather doesn't always cooperate!  As the old saying goes, "Many hands make light work!"  

Well, we didn't have all of the hands helping that could have been helping but those that were there worked very hard and as parents, we were very proud of all of the kids.  All of the bottles were sorted and loaded by 7:00pm tonight (the kids started their day at 9:30am).  It's nice to see kids working as a team and understanding what team work can accomplish ... even in the snow!    

Finally ... Spring Migration On a Grand Scale!

The Snow Geese are on the move in huge flocks ... finally!!!  I love migration but spring migration holds a special place in my heart.  It signifies not only a change in the season but rejuvenation of a landscape!  Canada is home to more than 500 migratory birds during part of the year.  Until you have witnessed the farewell of the migratory birds in the fall and the silence of winter with so many gone ... its hard to explain the excitement of hearing and seeing the large numbers of migratory birds fanning out across the sky and returning to their nesting grounds!  It truly is an amazing site!  I feel so blessed to live here!

A Spring-Like Day?

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day.
~Robert Frost

WOW!  That bright, round object was in the sky again today and the snow is slowly melting away!  Do I dare compare it to a 'spring-like' day?  If only that cold wind would go away!  

A fellow 365 blogger shared my blog today!  Thanks Matt!  Greatly appreciate it!  Matt is basking in Spring-like weather, south of the border and and is in no hurry to exchange places BUT he is happily sharing the 365 blogs he follows.  If you would like a reminder of what spring can look like ... check out Matt's blog.  Matt is very creative and has some beautiful birding images!

Soaking It Up!

It's hard work being almost 1 week old!  Yes, our Miss Lily will be one week old tomorrow and she's already survived a spring snow storm!  So when the sun comes out (finally), there is only one thing to do ... soak it up with a nap!  Even if you eventually have to rest your chin on the grass to do so!  Awwwwe ... she's so darn cute!

Miss Lily's mom has been the best mom!  She is never too far away and always has a keen, watchful eye over her wee one.  However, 'Lucky' doesn't seem to fret too much when us humans are about ... especially when she can be entertained with my old camera!   My old D70 certainly doesn't owe me a thing!!!

Seeing Is Believing ...

A Sign of Spring!

Mid morning, while out checking cows, I noticed two birds gleaning the ground.  It was only after they startled and flew off that I realized the birds were 2 male Western Meadowlarks (Sturnella neglecta).  Did my eyes trick me?  Could it be true?  Could the sweet, flute-like warbles of the Meadowlark's returned to the somewhat snow covered, cold prairie?  

Well, my eyes didn't trick me and it's true.  Tonight, my oldest and I spotted another Western Meadowlark!  Perched high in a tree out in the home pasture, he was showing off his brilliant yellow chest!  I must say, I'm looking forward to hearing more of their cheerful music tomorrow!  Spring must be on it's way!  

A Lack of Spring ...

Another mainly overcast and cool day.  Spring weather has certainly been lacking these days!  However, the forecast shows a 'possibility' of almost warm-like, double digit temperatures by the weekend!  Could it be true?  *sigh* ... only time will tell.  I hope so!  I am ready for fresh, green cattails ... for that matter, I am just ready for spring!

Digging Out ...

After yesterday's spring storm, many of us were digging out this morning!  Yes, even if you are a gopher (Richardson's Ground Squirrel), you had some house cleaning to do!  This little one worked quickly on it's first opening ... just so it could run and skip across the snow to get to the other opening and clear the snow out of it!  

Hopefully yesterday's snow was Winter's last punch!