Monday Mania........

All is calm on the mid-central Iowa front. The sun is setting like normal even though the clocks are all sprung forward.

The moon is showing in the sky at its normal stages. The full moon had a haze over it the night before but last evening it was clear and sharp. It wasn't so cold last evening as we had a warm day all day. This morning it is raining lightly.  It may rain all day.  People north of us are cold and I think we will join them in a couple of days. The rains are good for the grass to clean up all the dust and get rid of the dead-grass look.

The brown headed cow bird has been visiting the feeders the past couple of days.  I did know that it was a cow bird but I didn't know that there is a black version of the  cow bird.

The rains have slowed the visitors at the feeders.  It does mean that they can get food naturally as the snow is gone. I was planning to go to the old place to pick up fallen sticks and a stray limb. I decided that I didn't want to do that in the rain so  I put it off for a day.

Evidence of tulips coming up on the western side of the house. it is warmer there and protected too. I didn't walk around to look for more as I am sure there will be more. I did go out to see where the meadow voles had originated. The had made three or four holes into my flower garden area.  It looks like they originated there before they burrowed  under the snow throughout the yard. They must have come from under the fence on the back side of the yard and a couple of blocks over.  Our timber area that is in that direction probably gave them a journey to get to my yard. They could have eaten on roots of liaturis or peony bushes.  They had dug quite a large mound of soil from making their home. I will just have to wait and see the damage in spring.  When I looked up the meadow vole, I found people who kept poison traps out for them like one was trying to kill mice.

Other than the past work of the voles, everything seems to be pretty normal around here. The rain keeps hitting the screens of the sun room making streaming patters. I hope all are doing well out there.  Thanks for checking in today.

We both are still carrying the last of that coughing flu. It is a slow virus that hangs on forever.  We both are much stronger but just not over it.