Spring Fling

I'm trying not to get my hopes up for tomorrow, but today is sunny! It's still cold (42F/6C), but that bright sky makes all the difference.

It was past time for Miss Annie and me to have another elderly-dog-pace walk up the hill behind our neighborhood, and I wanted to see how things looked, with spring officially here now.

My past forays yielded this amazingly beautiful early December day, and late in the same month, a narrower view of my surroundings. Today I kept noticing the alder catkins, their vibrant color standing out amongst the brown vegetation and the brilliant blue sky. They looked very festive in the sunlight, waving in the breeze.

A few male robins hopped along the path in front of us, and a couple of chickadees sparred for nesting territory. Slowly but surely, spring is finally unfolding!