Early Springtime - My Favorite Time of the Year

It feels so much like spring here these days, although I hear that winter is sneaking back into our forecast soon. This is my absolute favorite time of the year. The wildflowers are just barely daring to bloom, and we have months of summer's bounty ahead of us.

Since my "cluster" migraine problem has returned, I've been slow getting started in the mornings. Shyla stays curled in the covers until I'm moving at full speed. The spring sun rays hit our bed in the morning so that's her favorite place to be.

When we finally get outdoors, it's really warm, and Shyla has tended toward being too hot for the past two days! She seeks out the snow to cool off.

After I rode my fat bike with Shyla this morning, I headed to Black Bear Trail, hoping to see some bear tracks and to put up a trail camera. I was surprised to find that most of it is still under several feet of snow. Most years, it would be melted out by now, and the bears would be starting their mating rituals.

This is Tiny, the biggest male black bear in our neck of the woods, marking a tree around this time last year. He hasn't been near the marking trees yet, as far as I can tell. However, I couldn't search very much with snow that went well above my knees.

My visit to Black Bear Trail made me sure that staying away from the den was the safest decision. With deep snow still lingering in many areas, there's a decent chance that our sow and her new cubs are still near the den. I would never forgive myself if I disturbed them.

Patience will pay off! We will get to see those cubs in photos and videos before too long!