Will It Ever Be Spring?

Last day of April - and it's snowing. Only a few flurries, and nothing stuck to the ground, but snow none the less. It did warm up later in the morning and actually turned out to be a decent day, but at 4:30 pm the clouds once again rolled in and it began to rain, with the possibility of thunderstorms this evening. Are they still trying to blame this crazy weather on El Nino? Personally, I think this is what typical springtime weather is supposed to be up here in the Rocky Mountains...

The Hawthorns are beginning to leaf out, and the Red Osier Dogwoods are sprouting their soft, fuzzy buds. Osprey and Western Bluebirds are sitting on eggs already, Goldfinches are in full breeding plumage, Ruby-crowned Kinglets are staking out territories and Warblers are returning. The one bird I have not yet seen is the Tree Swallows, which should have been back a few weeks ago; although the weather has been so cold that almost everything is a few weeks behind. Nighttime temperatures are still below freezing!

We should already be seeing Arrowleaf Balsamroot starting to bloom already, but they're only now sprouting their leaves. Pasque Flowers are just beginning to bloom, and there have been no sign of Glacier Lilies anywhere - which is strange because they're usually one of the first signs of spring, often blooming through patches of snow. At the same time, Yellow Bells are blooming all over the place along the river, and some of those blooms are already turning red with age. No wild asparagus yet, and it may not be ready to pick for another four to six weeks.

The ground however, is soft enough to dig, as evident by the many mole trails along the path and into the meadow. Lots of tracks in the mud along the creek; deer, turkey, raccoon, otter and a number of unidentifiable birds. Should be some young ones before too long.