Winter Has Slipped Away!

Wow, this month is going by fast! It's hard to keep up with everything I have going on lately. Though, it was really nice to go out and record some notes for phenology last week. It was SO beautiful outside! I am just amazed by how nice the weather has been lately. It's only March, yet it already feels like summer is here. Sadly, summer is still months away, but thankfully, spring is among us.

The few times I recorded phenology in February it wasn't too warm outside. On February 8th the air felt crisp and there was a bitter cold breeze. I could barely write, because my fingers felt numb. Snow still rested on the ground and the only grass I could see was still brown. Just weeks later, on February 22nd, I really enjoyed recording phenology because (thanks to the rain) the air smelled so fresh. Most of the snow had melted away, but the grass still looked rather ugly. Considering I love the rain, I felt inspired to take my time drawing in my journal rather than writing that much.

Now, even though it's only a month later, I feel as if the entire environment of the park has changed! The first time I recorded phenology this month was on March 13th. As I walked over to my site, I was welcomed by a bunch of gnats! It was kind of shocking, but it made me realize that spring is arriving. The second time I recorded phenology this month was on March 23rd. It was absolutely gorgeous outside, and the feeling in the air was even more joyous than the time before. While I sat under my tree I could look up and see new budds growing on the tree branches, and as I looked down on the ground I could see new green grass growing all around me. How neat!

I really like the spring time because I feel like everyone is in such high spirits. While sitting in the park, I find myself watching all the happy families, the children, the morning runners and the love birds. I notice how the mood of the park has changed so much since last month (when the sky was still grey and the park was pretty much empty.) I look forward to being able to go out for phenology again soon! Next time I go out I want to focus more on the plant life around the stream, rather than just looking at the plant life close to my tree. I hope everyone else has been enjoying this nice weather as much as I have. Let's hope it stays!