February is gone now, but it had some great foreshadowing events. There were skunk smells in the air, about the second week of the month. That usually indicates the stinky couples are out trying to find each other. Then the females gestate for the few remaining weeks until Spring. I know there are several animals with this same behavior, but the skunks are the ones easiest to notice with my nose.
On the evening of February twelfth, a few minutes before sunset, I was sitting on a stump, just watching what went on around me. Suddenly, much to my enjoyment, Turkey Vultures began to appear and circle in the sky. It was a marvelous dance to behold. After getting over the initial thrill, I began an attempt to count them. This was not an easy task, since they were executing multi-level circling maneuvers. I would count the ones going west only to be confused by those who had circled back east. It really took concentration, and there were at least fifty birds in the air when I became frustrated enough to end my efforts. Still, fifty plus Vultures were a sure sign that Spring would return to Richmond this year.
The tips of Crocuses, Daffodils, and Hyacinths poked out of the ground and shivered. Often these early flowers get their upward reaching extremities nipped by a frost. I wish they would wait until the warmth was constant, but that would defeat their survival programming. The flowers can still be enjoyed, even if slightly damaged and deformed.
So, snow away, you last days of March. I know your cold and windy ways won't last. I have been shown the signs of soon to be warmth and life. I have faith winter will not retain the cold hold it has on our land.
