Another spring-ish day - not as warm or sunny as yesterday, but almost all the snow is gone (!) and the ice in the pond is showing signs of deterioration, so it won't be long now before we have blue water and green grass back again. We are expecting a little more rain later today, but that all helps get the frost out of the ground and wash away some of the winter grime. Here's this morning's shot of the Ice-Out setup. Beginning to look pretty mushy out there!
     The sun is almost breaking through as I write this, so perhaps at least this  morning we will have a very pleasant day. I don't mind if it's cloudy, just so it's reasonably warm. I did some raking yesterday, but hardly made a dent in what needs to be done. Each year  I've cut back on the amount of flower beds I'm trying to keep weed-free, but still, there is sooooo much to do! The old grape arbor needs some attention after the huge load of snow it held up under this winter, and there are the inevitable mole messes here and there on the property that need to be filled and smoothed before the grass needs to be mowed. I have yet to find a solution to those little guys, and now, without Woody to help keep the population down, we will no doubt have  more of the little pests everywhere.
     No signs of bears around our place, but I have heard of a few being out and about in the Cabot area. Now is not the time for bird feeders to be out - and the birds will be fine without your help now. And please don't  leave any kind of garbage outside, and be sure to clean your outdoor grills well, otherwise you will almost certainly have a visit from a hungry bear. Their sense of smell is very sharp, and they'll know when you are cooking outside - or sometimes even indoors if the windows are open, and will investigate, I'm told. You don't want that kind of unexpected dinner guest!