Great Blue Herons in the valley
(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison)
Spring
has finally arrived the the valley here and we have been most fortunate
as far as our flooding here. A week and a half ago we were taking on
water pretty fast and the valley in front was threatening lake front
property once again, but fortunately all the culverts broke open in time
to spare the road and its been dropping back to the channel since.
We
are so, so lucky and count our blessings as we watch the dire situation
in extreme western Iowa and the eastern half of Nebraska...a perfect
storm did happen after a heavy snowfall and rains exacerbated the
completely saturated soils from last year's record rains - it was all
downhill from there for anyone in the flood plains of the Missouri River
and its tributaries. Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone
affected by the flooding going on right now.
Things
are starting to look "normal" here for a change...we still have 4 foot
drifts covering most of Georgie's barn garden but she was able to get
into the yard garden and peek under the snow flattened hoops and see
that the spinach did survive the winter this year - YAY!!! Last year
the mice had set up shop under her row covers and dined on spinach all
winter...we have strong mice out here!
Juvenile Bald Eagle
(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison)
We
have been seeing a few Great Blue Herons returning to the Waterman
Creek rookery the past few days, but in low numbers so far. Yesterday
we had 8 herons riding a thermal high above the rookery. The last time
we witnessed this there was "Eagle trouble" brewing. Well, sure enough,
a couple juvenile Bald Eagles were harassing the herons - one flying
around the hovering flock and another sitting smack in the middle of the
rookery!
Eventually
the two trouble makers tired of the game and headed off right over the
studio deck where Georgie and I were watching - giving us great neck
bending looks as they passed. In the next hour 8 more Bald Eagles flew
past the acreage - bee lining straight north on the wind. On top of
that uncounted flocks of Canada and Snow Geese streamed past heading
north as well - spring is definitely in play now!
Grateful that Spring has arrived - prayers to all those being faced with loss to flooding.
Take care and be good to one another!
