Snowdrops and robins

[pameladean]

I had to go downtown today for the very mundane reason that I was almost out of Peridex and had to pick up another bottle from the dentist's office. I came home through the brown back yard, strewn with all the leaves last November's snow covered before I could mow them up; and glanced, by sheer habit, at the crumpled sodden leaves of one of last year's peonies. The snowdrops were up and blooming. They were not visible at all yesterday but today, there they were.

When I came upstairs I opened a lot of windows, and immediately heard the robins singing their evening song. The Cornell Ornithological Lab calls it their dawn song, and if Cornell says they sing it at dawn, then they do; but they also sing it in the evening, and sometimes when the sky darkens suddenly before a storm. In support of Cornell, I will add that they also sing it when the sun comes out after the storm is over.

I wish Minicon were earlier or later. Spring has come, and I don't want to sit around in a hotel. At least rain is forecast for part of the weekend.

Right now it's almost entirely clear except for some of those long, dark-gray clouds like islands, with Venus brightening above them.

Pamela

Comments

[coffeeem.livejournal.com]

It really does seem like an unfortunate weekend to stay indoors all day. Well, maybe it'll snow. Because sometimes that happens.

[pameladean]

Sometimes it does, but don't let people hear you wishing for it!

I am looking forward to the music at Minicon, anyway. 8-)

P.

[mizzlaurajean.livejournal.com]

I always hope for terrible weather during Minicon so I won't pine for the out of doors.

[pameladean]

Between you and Emma we'll have a blizzard for sure!

If it just rained, that would be great, because we need it and it would reduce pining for the outdoors quite a bit. Hard on people celebrating Easter more traditionally, I guess.

P.

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

Robins: they have a flexible definition of dawn :-) Or maybe Cornell Ornithological Lab should rename it their temporal transition song?

I noticed an abundance of birdsong yesterday around here, too--it was wonderful. The birds have decided it's spring, regardless of the remaining snow and cold.

Lovely about the snowdrops!

[pameladean]

I was thinking "crepuscular song," but "temporal transition" takes care of the storm changes, too.

P.

[clindau.livejournal.com]

I saw and heard my first red winged blackbird of the spring yesterday. Yay!

[pameladean]

Ooo, you are ahead of me. I'm glad they're here.

P.

[inlaterdays.livejournal.com]

Hooray for snowdrops!

[pameladean]

I think of you every year when I start looking for them. I still have your article somewhere.

P.

[jinian.livejournal.com]

The same thing has happened here with snowdrops! Day before yesterday: nothing. Yesterday: entire blooming clumps of snowdrops. They are floral ninjas in this climate.

[pameladean]

They are pretty tough here, too. Last year they bloomed and then got snowed on comprehensively, but when the snow melted they were were still blooming away.

P.

[alexfandra.livejournal.com]

May your weekend be stormy and the Minicon hotel cozy and inviting!

We had a hailstorm here yesterday afternoon. It's been Spring here for some time (since we skipped over Winter) and everyone is busy working in their gardens, but the temp dropped to *50* and the hail was so long and strong that it messed up the evening commute.

I hear robins singing here all day long. Sometimes *before* dawn. Go figure. But then, the sky is so often gray here for more than 24 hours at a time, that perhaps in the Pacific Northwest at least, they can't *tell* when it's dawn!

[pameladean]

Yikes, that was more hail than seems really necessary!

Robins may well sing before dawn on a regular basis, but I only notice during the spring when I first leave the windows open all night; and we weren't quite there until today.

P.

[thinkum]

I saw a robin the other day as we were driving along running errands; have not yet heard their song for the season. Nothing is up and blooming yet that I've seen, although there are daffys on sale at the grocery store for those who need their instant gratification. C'mon, Spring! Push harder! We've got to get Winter out of here some day...

Wish we could be there for Minicon; the timing just never works for us. Will try to tune in for the Cats Laughing concert on Friday, though. Saturday will probably be a pie-making day, and Sunday is family dinner at Jerry's mom's place.

[biblio-tech.livejournal.com]

I stopped at Eloise Butler on the way home from the office--snow trilliums and hepaticas are blooming. 3 butterflies (mourning cloak, a little copper, and something larger and orangish that distracted me as I tracked a pileated woodpecker. I'm sure the pasque flowers must be out but I didn't find them.
I suppose this is the sort of thing I'd post on my own journal if I ever did such a thing.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

This has nothing to do with your post, but here are the Flower Show miniatures for the year.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lblanchard/sets/72157651773941431/

[pameladean]

Thank you SO MUCH. I sent them along to my mother. Her 20-year-old cat just died, so I hope these will provide some distraction. I will look at them myself in a day or so -- I'm still catching up after Minicon.

P.