(Image from the Internet)
Mother Nature is amazing! The second week in March, buds were sprouting on trees and branches, birds were frolicking to entice mates and Robins were abounding. To some seeing an American Robin is a sure sign of spring, but for me it is the majestic turkey vulture.
These massive scavengers are so graceful in flight that its mesmerizing with their massive six feet wingspan gliding effortlessly on a thermal air stream. Usually when you see one turkey vulture there will be a group. When flying, a flock of vultures are called a kettle, when resting on the ground or in trees is called a committee and a group of turkey vultures feeding together are called a wake.
These massive scavengers are so graceful in flight that its mesmerizing with their massive six feet wingspan gliding effortlessly on a thermal air stream. Usually when you see one turkey vulture there will be a group. When flying, a flock of vultures are called a kettle, when resting on the ground or in trees is called a committee and a group of turkey vultures feeding together are called a wake.
Turkey vulture in flight (Image from the Internet)
These birds are so beautiful in the sky but with their red bald head, not so much up close. However, I tend to notice that when I do see a turkey vulture in the spring, there is still one more snowfall.
Turkey vulture up close (Image from the Internet)
It seems Mother Nature felt sorry for us having to deal not only with another year of the Coronavirus pandemic but with another lock down. Temperatures in early March were double digits, like summer weather. I took advantage of this by cleaning up and preparing my ponds and putting out my garden paraphernalia. I have never been this early getting my gardens ready.
Going for my daily walk was great not having to don all the winter grub. Some mornings I just wore a tee-shirt. Fantastic! But it proved to be short-lived then yoyoing. It was a winter wonderland on April 21st then a week later a high of 22 degrees Celsius. Back to wearing coats and hats then slathering on sunscreen.
Going for my daily walk was great not having to don all the winter grub. Some mornings I just wore a tee-shirt. Fantastic! But it proved to be short-lived then yoyoing. It was a winter wonderland on April 21st then a week later a high of 22 degrees Celsius. Back to wearing coats and hats then slathering on sunscreen.
 April 21, 2021 (Image taken by Heather A. Rennalls) |  April 22, 2021 (Image taken by Carl Rennalls) |
Now on the last day of April, there is a frost advisory with the possibility of the temperatures dipping to -2 degrees Celsius. Yikes! Just like with the cases of COVID-19, Mother Nature is up and down. Just when we thought we had all clear that spring weather arrived, Mother Nature threw us a curve ball.
Frost covered trees (Image from the Internet)
Another rite of passage for spring is spring cleaning. Dreaded by many, I am sure. Being off last March due to COVID-19, I spent my time spring cleaning both inside and outside my house. I found it refreshing discarding many unused items and trying to par things done. A year later, I once again spent time spring cleaning. Now I am off due to early retirement. Loving it!
Once again, the goal was trying to pair things down. After living in my house for twenty years, I want to scale back to just the essentials. Not an easy feat but a continual work in progress.
As a homeowner, spring cleaning is not just a required and needed service, so is maintenance. Over the next weeks and months, I will be highlighting various house maintenance chores required during the spring season. Some things I was not even aware of and many maintenance jobs can be done by the homeowner rather then employing professionals. However, there are times when professionals should do some maintenance work. All this will be explored.
In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful sunshine and everything that springtime has to offer. Enjoy reading the poem Spring Has Sprung.
Once again, the goal was trying to pair things down. After living in my house for twenty years, I want to scale back to just the essentials. Not an easy feat but a continual work in progress.
As a homeowner, spring cleaning is not just a required and needed service, so is maintenance. Over the next weeks and months, I will be highlighting various house maintenance chores required during the spring season. Some things I was not even aware of and many maintenance jobs can be done by the homeowner rather then employing professionals. However, there are times when professionals should do some maintenance work. All this will be explored.
In the meantime, enjoy the beautiful sunshine and everything that springtime has to offer. Enjoy reading the poem Spring Has Sprung.
(Image from the Internet)
Happy Spring!
Quote: "Where flowers bloom so does hope." ~ Lady Bird Johnson ~
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