JUST SAY NO !!!!

On the other hand, the golden hour at Tern Lake was exquisite last evening.   I found this Ring-necked juvenile enjoying its bath.

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The golden hour is that time just after sunrise and just before sunset when the light is infused with red and golden hues.  It's the favorite time of day for photographers.

And another juvenile, a Red-necked grebe.

From these ducklings, I learned two things.   One is that the ring-necked are nesting at Tern Lake, which I love.   And two, that a pair of grebes somewhere on the lake had a successful hatch.  You can still see its "prison stripes" that the young grebes have as camo.

The pair that nest near the highway, and that I watch, had two nest failures this year for unknown reasons.

Rules of Thumb

There are two rules of thumb regarding seasons in Alaska:

One, when the fireweed has topped out (bloomed all the way to the top of the stalk), winter is six weeks away, and,

Two, when the birch trees are fully leafed out, it's safe to plant outdoors.   That usually coincides with the last of May.


So, imagine my disbelief when I looked outside yesterday at the rapidly-disappearing patches of snow and saw something so rare, I'd never before seen it in March.

BIRCH BUDS!    And a couple were starting to open.   A first for me.

And the temperature yesterday on the shady side of my house?    A whopping 66 degrees.

While I rejoiced in the warm sunshine and started putting away things winter, a nasty thought intruded.   If it's this warm, it's warm enought to wash the outside windows.

Whew, thank goodness today is overcast and spitting rain.