What's Up With This Weather??

Not an extraordinary day today, but a good day. First thing this morning I spotted a fox along the road and quickly pulled over to get some photos. This is the same spot I photographed the fox last year, but not sure it's the same fox. Last year she really wasn't concerned in the least bit but this year the first click of the shutter startled her. Could be that she's forgotten about last year, or this could be one of her pups from last year, taking her place. Can never be certain - they all look alike to me! But she pounced on - and caught - a ground squirrel right before my eyes. Unlike last year, she didn't gobble it up in front of me, but instead hurried over the hill with it in her mouth. If she has pups they're about six to eight weeks old by now, and still needing mom to provide dinner, but most likely catching grasshoppers and mice on their own.

The Pond Lilies are in bloom - finally! I was expecting the flowers to open up more, but it doesn't appear that they do, as I noticed a couple of them already fading and not open much more than this one. There are a lot more of them now, however. And, after several weeks worth of trips to the pond, wading through a sea of tall, tick-infested grass, where did I find this one? Right alongside a paved walking path... go figure!

We've had the strangest weather this year! 80 degrees in February, then snow in March; then 91 in April, and today it is snowing in the Bitterroot Mountains. Maybe April was summer for this year. The National Weather Service says this is going to be one of the worst forest fire years in a very long time. What? Worse than 2000, or 2003, or 2006, or 2009??? I see a pattern here - every three years we have a bad fire season, so does that means that this year - 2012 - history will repeat itself?