Spring Finally Spring

Say what you will about warm summer nights, thigh deep powder, or fall foliage, a winter in Duluth places Spring sturdily at the number one spot for favorite seasons. Last fall I missed the foliage. Instead I found a brown, soon to be dormant world. Arriving in mid April however, every stimulus seems fresh as if seeing it for the first time. A whole host of birds that heretofore had existed in a blur of ignorance suddenly came to life. There have been bluebirds, field sparrows, scarlet tanagers, a parade of woodpeckers. I was calling for Chuck on the hill behind my parents house (not unusual) just after a string of 80 even 90 degree days when I stepped into the richest woods I had seen since the west coast. Ferns, trillium, marigolds and mosses creeping by the brook. No bird call I have yet heard rivals the seemingly tropical, liquid whistle of wood thrushes. I first heard there. Basically I have been consulting guide books constantly to know the names of what I've seen or heard all my life. To suddenly take the time to realize the complexity and diversity of an environment shines a light on an unfortunately once dark part of my mind.
I know he poses

One morning I passed some roadkill on rt. 219 that bisects the farm and a timbered bog. I thought it an odd color for a fox and turned around to find a once healthy bobcat laying still on the pavement. It was unfortunate but interesting to finally see one up close, see the paws, the teeth, compare it in size to our housecats-the stubby tail. When you can drive a mile in any direction and find a new sub-development slashed into the woods with gaudy homes plopped hastily, its hard to believe bobcats are still running amok.

It's been easy to see and hear spring happen with all the work we've accomplished. We planted 14 hundred seedlings, delivered and planted pine trees, revamped the flower beds and landscaping of the house, scraped, sanded, and powerwashed the house for painting, dug ditches and so on. It's been intense. But after an unemployed winter-immensely satisfying.
As if he never comes with us...







When Chuck gets wet you have to stand back and just watch the mayhem. There will be jumping and rolling in the grass, howling barks and circles ran at full speed, in other words mindless running with the intention of going nowhere. Post water is a prime time to get bowled over. His eyes gloss over and when running straight at you it looks like a cinder block on legs. Often he'll pick up any stick near him, shake his head violently, drop it, run to retrieve but miss and commence again the mindless circles. It is a sight to behold. During the instance that inevitably ensued I decided to hang my camera from a tree branch. It's that ridiculous.


And at last but of course not least there is the spring pig. No not swine flu. I'm talking about the monster in my hand there. 7.5 pounds of redemption. It had been a while since I had been in the old Tracker, but Tim had it running like a honey. With his 5 lber early in the day I couldn't even entertain the thought of getting one bigger. I hate to say it, but the going got tough, and when it did I tied on a senko. I know it is the bait that's made many a novice feel like a pro but hey - at least I landed it. It's the biggest bass I ever caught. Considering I devoted years of my life pursuing them, it was awesome in the truest sense. We threw her back of course, as she was fat with eggs.