Winter

Has worn out its welcome. Last week we had sugar weather; today it is four degrees. Supposed to get up to forty tomorrow though. I'll believe it when I see it.

At least the days are longer, with the sun still up when we go to the barn at night, although flashlights are needed by the time we come in. We sure have enjoyed a sky show lately. Either the stars are a-whirl with the moon waxing fatter each night or the whole affair is all pink and purple from the lights of nearby towns reflected up against the clouds. I always pause on my way in and just look for a while.

We're itching for the time when we can start patching up the fences and get the girls out on grass, which does not have to be either bought or unrolled for them. They must be wishing for it too....long days of lying in the woods chewing cud or itching themselves on low-hanging branches, drinking from the creek and grazing all they want to under a warm spring sun.

Right now all their favorite places are encased in ice or coated with snow....the creek only offers a shiny tear drop of open water here and there, and getting to it would be an awful danger to them.

So it's either their warm barn or the sanded barnyard for them for at least a couple of months yet.

We are right at the edge of good birding times though....the Coopers hawk, the raven, just precursors of a  great invasion when the migrants begin to show up. I keep telling myself...there are killdeers in Virginia....