February End

The temperature reached into the low 50s today and, in combination with a bit of sun, the slush disappeared from the driveway. This week's weather of cold rain and wet snow pushed us into the "we are ready for spring" mood.

During a walk in UNH's College Woods around mid-morning, I noticed that springtails (also known as snow fleas) by the thousands had flung themselves on top of the snow. Something they do when temperatures rise above freezing and the sun shines, if just a bit today. Closer to home, I saw the first chipmunk of the season on a stone wall along Bald Hill Road. Things are waking up, stretching, and emerging from their winter hideouts.

With spring fever at hand, it seemed like a good day to switch up the blog to a more spring-like look. And what better way to cheer the winding down of winter than a sweet spring peeper. With nighttime temperatures still at or below freezing, and more than a foot of snow in the yard, we won't hear peepers for awhile. We can dream though.

To encourage your own thoughts of spring and all things frog-like, check out this advance story at the Northern Woodlands magazine on The Annual Frog Symphony. You can literally listen to them all at once alongside beautiful illustrations. And another gentle nudge to consider subscribing to Northern Woodlands--the best magazine of the region.