A SIGN OF SPRING?

 The temperature has risen around these parts into the 50's and low 60's for several days now and I just spotted this rascal in my driveway.

He was very still.

He didn't even move as I bent over to photograph him.

I'm not sure whether he's frozen solid or just enjoying the sunshine-heated pavement for awhile.

But when I blew up the photo he looked positively prehistoric.

Behold!  The mighty grasshopper!

If he be here can Spring be far behind?

THE FRIDAY FUNNIES

 Oh, man, I just checked and learned that today is National Carrot Cake Day!

What could be better than that?

Well, I suppose the fact that it's also Friday.

Okay Trekkies, you got your wish once again.

Now not just you guys but EVERYONE, here's your mission:

Enjoy yourselves and have an absolutely artfully accident-free weekend!

And always remember to keep laughing!

Here, kitty-kitty . . .

(awww, I don't think you're trying . .)

ADDENDUM

 I just had to add this late arrival to the previous post.

I think Elvis would have liked it.

THE SECOND OF FEBRUARY

 

Yes, it is Groundhog Day!

The day we find out whether we will have another six weeks of winter or an early spring.

To those of you who don't know it dates back to the 19th Century when a group of Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants in Punxsutawney celebrated their superstition with a groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil.

As the superstition goes, if it's a sunny day and the groundhog thus sees its shadow it retreats to its den for another six weeks of winter.

If he doesn't see his shadow there will be an early spring.

This year Phil saw his shadow.

So does the superstition hold?

We could ask the groundhog.

Meantime, another tradition of this day has locked in.

Watching the Bill Murray movie "Groundhog Day", in which he is fated to reliving February 2nd over and over again.

So enjoy your day, your predictions, your weather, your early or late spring and whatever else comes your way.

ROBINS!

We got a tremendous surprise yesterday.

I opened the door to see the two huge trees in our front yard were absolutely filled with robins!

On January 31st!

I figured there were at least 50 of them and Judy said they apparently were migrating, though she said it seemed early for that.

They were very bold.

Quite a few danced around on the roof right over my head and were not scared off by my presence.

And when I went to the mailbox out by the street one flew off the roof, underneath the mailbox only about a foot from the ground and closer than that to me and up to another tree across the street.

I found a website this morning and read a lot about them and a flock like this is not unusual during migrations.

They can cover up to 300 miles in a day before stopping for the night.

We had not seen the birdlife we were accustomed to at our previous home and were despairing.

But earlier in the week when I opened the blind a tiny bird landed on the patio and walked almost up to the glass door where I was standing.

I think it was a goldfinch but I couldn't be sure.

Now, with this huge group of robins passing through, can Spring be far away?

I hope so and I hope the birds will be back to entertain us.

For those of you who don't know, that song was performed by a man born in Lithuania as Asa Joelson.

But after he came to the United States, he entered the world of entertainment as Al Jolson and had a legendary career before his death in 1950.

Hopefully, his song will lure some more robins to our area.

AM I PARANOID?

 

A POEM

 A good friend who supplies much of the comic material on these posts sent me a poem this morning.

It was a poem that he wrote was "just for me".

But knowing the meaning of poetry as defined by the Mighty Google: "It can . . . allow writers to express their emotions and allow readers to connect to those emotions . . ." I thought I could and even should share the poem with all of you.

I hope you can appreciate the angst that brought forth this poem from a troubled (and anonymous) soul.

So I shall share it with you now.

It is titled "A Winter Poem".