The snow is finally gone. Our orbit and tilt have brought the Northern Hemisphere into more direct rays of sunshine, and it feels glorious. The afternoons seem to linger rather than plummet towards night. Birdsong bookends the days, stirring the morning and putting evening to rest. The red-winged blackbirds who reside behind the house by the stream seem particularly vocal, chirping and trilling their melodious notes. The juncos seem to have returned north. The crocuses are pushing upwards and blooming.
And so the season of rock tipping, dirt peering has arrived. The insect world is already active; I’ve even spied a small native bee in a crocus bud already. Today I brought my camera and went out after school to see what I could find. It was still pretty quiet under many rocks. But I found an ant with gorgeous eyes and jointed antennae, a slug whose back looks like the whorl of a fingerprint, a nearly translucent larva, and a perfect, petite snail shell spiral.
Which do you like best?
Enjoy!
