Spring has sprung

We are at now past the point of the astronomical vernal equinox. Of course, true to form, this morning's temperature is very close to zero and there are frosty patches outdoors. But they won't last long. The sun will be spending close to twelve hours with us today.

No wild turkeys here, just the occasional pheasant, hawk, or crow.

This is one of those photos that doesn't do reality justice. Those gossamer web-like strands you see are wires strung across the tops of the vineyard posts. They act as supports for the grape vines as they grow. In the right light, at the right time of day, they can look like webs glinting in the sun.

We watched the weirdest show on television last night. It was about a guy in Florida who hatched a clutch of abandoned wild turkey eggs and raised the chicks as if he were their mother. He spent every waking minute with the chicks as they grew over their first year, clucking with them (he claimed that he learned the variations in their vocalizations and that they were actually communicating), running with them in the woods, and at one point he even ate a grasshopper with them. It was very strange.

Spending time with turkeys. Well, looking back on some of the jobs I've had, maybe it's not so strange a concept after all.