I PROBABLY NEED A SHOWER

NATIVE PUSSY WILLOW FLOWER BUDS LOSING THEIR SCALES...

...AND A NICE AFTERNOON AT THE BEACH...

...WITH THE CHANNEL REFROZEN

DEER IN THE WOODS ON OLD MILITARY ROAD THIS MORNING

Thursday, 9:00 AM.  Temperature 20 degrees F at the ferry dock and on the back porch.  Wind SSW, mostly calm with very light gusts.  The sky is clear with some haze in the east, the humidity 71%.  The barometer is taking a nose dive, but is still at 30.27".  A warming trend is predicted, with light snow tomorrow and again towards the end of next week.

   The weather of late is sure a contradiction in terms.  It was a nice afternoon for a walk on the beach with Buddy yesterday, but the channel is refrozen and looks like Siberia. 

   The pussy willows are loosing their bud scales, but the mornings have been frigid.

   The lower Cheaquamegon Bay at Ashland was open a few days ago but is refrozen, and two fishermen were venturing out on it yesterday afternoon when I entered  Ashland; I didn't see them when I left.  Fish Creek on Hwy. 2 near Ashland is refrozen, but two geese have returned and were looking for a nesting site yesterday.  Spring is always by definition a contradiction in terms.
   Standing still for a moment at the top of the hill on Old Military Road this mornng, I was startled by a nearby sound.  Looking up, I saw three deer looking at buddy and me, invaders of their woods. I have heard a "buck snort" in the woods, but never before so close.  The lead deer snorted, bounded off a bit, stopped and looked at us again and snorted; it did this three times, a loud exhaling sound, almost like a dog's "woof."
   The sound was literally one of disgust, as though I smelled bad. I Probably need a shower.