Tuesday Musings.

The “real Spring” is still waiting in the wings, but not for long. The weather forecast has us hitting 71 degrees at the tail end of the week. Well that's a little silly, isn't it?

Yesterday, during my walk there were snow flurries swirling around my head. Today, the folks in the northern 'burbs awoke to 4-5 inches of the white stuff. I sure am glad I don't live in the northern 'burbs, I'll tell you that.

But, before the real Spring officially replaces the imposter Spring we've dealt with the past few weeks, this morning I still piled on the perpetual nine layers of clothing to stay warm as the thermometer hovered around the freezing mark. A glimmer of sun gave me the chance to start my walk earlier, and I was happy for that, as I wanted to cross the 200-miles-walked-in-2018 marker today. Happily, at the end of my five-mile walk I did just that.

Before the landscape of the Park turns from monochromatic to the kaleidoscope of colors that Mother Nature will roll out over the next few weeks, I wanted to share this photo of a red-winged blackbird, embedded in the dead reeds. He sure stood out as he practiced his yoga routine – see him doing his downward dog pose.

Well actually, that red-winged blackbird was not practicing yoga, but, instead he was eyeing the peanuts I just laid out for the squirrels. He was preparing to swoop down to get one, and right after I took this photo, he did just that. It’s not the first time he has spied me and grabbed a peanut from under the squirrels’ respective noses. It is likely the two male cardinals watched his technique for grabbing peanuts, since they are snubbing my safflower seeds, opting to snatch a peanut off the path while the squirrels are sitting there munching on them. These birds have no shame! So, I am left holding the bag ... of safflower seeds that is.

As I headed off the perimeter path for home and started walking up Pagel Avenue, once again I heard the unmistakable sound of a red-winged blackbird. Their song always reminds me of a meadow in Summertime. I turned around and one seemed to be following me home as he flitted over to alight on a tree that was starting to bud.

Evidently, when it comes to the critters in the Park, the way to their hearts is through their stomachs.

You can catch up on my blog posts before I started blogging at Patch in August 2013 by going here: http://lindaschaubblog.net/