March Skies

The natural world is stirring back to life and those of us who are awake and aware feel it. The light is changing. The sky has that gusty March wind look as the clouds travel fast along a wide swathe of blue, and even the trees, bare as they may be, seem to be vibrating with life. The natural urge to begin again never ceases to astonish me.

Canada Geese are back with their mates, staking out nesting grounds. I saw a pair today on an open meadow-like parcel of land, graced with a mature weeping willow tree ― ideal habitat for setting up a nursery.

But in March, the urge to migrate and find a mate can have deadly consequences. Roadkill is always a sorrowful sight and even more so this early in the season. Today I saw two opossums and one yearling groundhog dead in the road. It seems so unfair that they should be struck down after surviving such a brutal winter.

Still, there is solace to be found in the changing beauty of March skies and the fact that we are almost on what I like to call "the other side." Daylight Savings Time begins tonight.