Intermission: Ahhhhh! Spring!

[Tractor]

Well, many of us are experiencing the first bit of Spring at our homes and on the trail. Green is showing. Bugs (wanted and not) are buzzing about. Fuzzy, furry, scaley, feathered friends are bounding about as if it were, well, spring. This last part is the topic of this thread:

Have any of you ever thought about why this part of the year is when you recall those "close encounters" with those creatures you usually never see or only see at a great distance? The chipmunk that ran through your legs. The bird that flew right by your ear. The snake that tried to crawl up your pants leg. That fish that tried to get in your shorts when you were swimming in the lake. The moma bear that wanted to.....well, i'm not too sure her intentions?

It's pretty simple - It's time to mate! Think about it, you got the females either running away from or flirting with the males. You got the males either flirting with the females or fighting other males. There is a lot of activity and some of both sex don't watch where they are going, they are just going to or away from...somebody.

Sadly, this is also the time for the most road kill and "birds in the grill". Hey, they don't see it comin', they're just doin' their thing. Does anyone have any ideas on how we can reduce (or eliminate) this carnage?

I think I do - ANTIPHERMONES! Mist them from our automobiles and packs. Maybe dab some on our boots and cotton shirts. This will be a very big undertaking and will require massive funds. Please give, give large and give frequently. I know of a man in Virgina who will accept these funds and work non stop until he has achieved success!

Thank you all for all the support! The critters do tooooo.

[Scaper]

Leaves on the trees usually start coming out here in Linden at 1000 feet in about 3 weeks. The trees at higher elevations in the Shenandoah National Park won't see leaves until mid to late May.

[Brushy Sage]

The temperature was around 70 on the AT today as my Carolina Mtn Club crew worked north of Hot Springs. While we were eating lunch, a small bird came and perched in the trees just overhead, and chirped and chirped, and was soon joined by a second bird and the two of them carried on a conversation. No doubt they were waiting for us to move on so they could pick up the crumbs we left behind. When the song birds begin to follow hikers on the AT, spring has surely arrived.

[Tractor]

Thank you and the crew for what u do! Love your work! Any funny animal stories you can share, 'specially spring related?

[Moxie00]

;) Spring is here in Maine. As my wife got off the ski lift at Titcomb Mountain last week she spotted the first catapiller of spring crawling across the snow. We picked it up and put it near the fire in the lift attendants cabin so it would at least survive the night. This morning my septic field flooded and backed everything into our house but at least the snow is melting. I spotted a robin on the snowdrift looking for a catapiller stupid to be out just because the noonday sun was hot enough to wake him from his winter slumber. Soon the first black fly of spring will bite the first hiker rushing the season in shorts and a t-shirt. The winter has been hard, dark and cold, the snow was measured in feet,not inches this year. My feet have not walked on grass for four months but right now all the mud is a sign of days to come. Soon Spring will pass, our three weeks of Maine summer will be upon us and we can gather the wood we need to keep warm next winter.

[walkin' wally]

Wow, we are getting three whole weeks of summer this year ?? Yeah a pretty good winter this year. We took 2 1/2 feet of snow off two camp roofs a few weeks ago.