About this time every year I get so tired of it all.  Tired of the snow and cold and slush and wind and dark and…well…those of you that have ever lived up this way know.  I looked back at the blog for a few years and guess what?  Regardless of how easy or difficult the winter was, about this time of year I’m just over it and I start searching for signs that winter is over and spring has moved into my little part of the world.  Now I can’t guarantee that this winter is over, but here are a few things I’ve seen or heard in the past two days that might give us all a little hope.

Friday evening as I got home and went inside to gather Katie for our trek to the mailbox there was the sound of a robin singing somewhere near.  The light was bad but I searched the tops of trees and found a dark roundish bit of shadow that I believe was Mr. Robin.   This winter I spotted a robin at our bird bath, looking decidedly disgruntled with the snow.  Maybe yesterday’s was the same one, just a little happier.

This morning as Katie and I were out in the predawn darkness I heard a sound up in the neighbor’s oak trees that I’ve never heard before.  I couldn’t place it, and each time I looked toward the sound (which was coming from multiple trees) all I could see was a blue jay.  Couldn’t be, I thought, and went on my way.  This afternoon I went online and looked for some video of blue jay sounds.  Listen to the first few seconds of this.  Did you know blue jays make this sound?  I sure didn’t.  I wonder if it’s something they do in the spring?

Later in the morning as I drove to work a sandhill crane flew overhead.  Just one, which made me a little sad — I hope the spouse is somewhere near in a nest.  Still, it’s good to know at least one has come back for the summer.

And then the absolutely positively sure fired proof it’s spring – when I got home from work this afternoon the red winged blackbirds were decimating my bird feeders.

I hadn’t even heard them yet this year, and that’s usually my first sign.  But there they were, a whole flock of them hungrily scratching at the ground under the feeder.  They seemed a bit frantic.  These birds eat so much so fast that sometimes in the fall I stop filling the feeder until after they’ve left for the season as the rest of my birds can’t get near it to eat.  But they are a sure sign it’s spring, so today, in appreciation, I’m filling it back up just for them.

And for this guy.