It's finally happened. The January thaw! This morning we (Kooper and I) heard a male cardinal singing in the distance as the day was breaking during our morning walk. Then another right near us answered in that unmistakable song of spring close-at-hand. "Birdy-birdy-birdy-birdy." It's been very mild here the past couple of days. Even at night the temperature is only dropping into the mid 40s. And back up into the 60s during the daytime. Although after all of the recent bitter cold the mild seems much milder.
Like hibernating bears rolling out of their dens, people were out yesterday in droves. Walking dogs. Strolling down the street. Shopping bags in hand. And the traffic was much heavier, too, as people took advantage of the warmth and sun to get outdoors. Albeit in their cars.
The forecast looks as if this warm spell will continue through the week. That's good, because Kooper and I will be walking a lot this week. Kate will be flying north to Toronto today for a meeting. That means Kooper and I rely on each other to get us both out the door to sniff around a bit and soak in the sunlight (or moonlight, as the case may be). When the weather is mild and the cardinals are announcing spring's near-arrival, that helps to usher us outside more often.
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About Me
- Mark Gorman
- I was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, along the banks of the Susquehanna River, in the valley made up by Bald Eagle Mountain to the south, and gentle hills and valleys to the north. That place that sheltered me, gave me food and friends, and both physical and spiritual nourishment for 18 years. That is the space where I was physically and emotionally formed. Ever since growing up there . . . because of growing up there . . . I have been inexorably linked to nature . . . to the earth and to all life.