Chateau Lloyd

It's been a topsy-turvy winter here in Michigan, veering between extreme cold and unseasonable warmth.

As a result, the "quiet of winter" seems to have come to a premature end.  For those who don't live in such climates, winter is indeed a time of diminished noise.  Partly this is function of the snow on the ground, which acts as a giant muffler, muting everything but the wind.

But the other part comes from the cessation 0f animal activity, particularly birds.  Going out over the past couple of days I've heard the first soloists tuning up for what will soon become a mighty orchestra of chirping.  As spring deepens, other critters will join in, particularly insects and (locally) frogs.

For now, the sounds are few.  There is still scattered snow on the ground, the great flocks have get to gather.  However, the calls of their pioneers right clear in the growing morning light.  Spring is coming.