Eastern Trail - Scarborough: Spring is in the air

I know, I went on a roll posting every day and then **poof!** disappeared again. I have a good excuse - I swear. Monkey came down with strep last week and was so sweet he passed it right over to mom. I've taught him to be a great sharer. Needless to say, I spent most of last week curled up in the big frumpy chair with Samantha watching daytime TV. I could make this one of those blogs that complains about the lack of sensible daytime television, but I'm not going to. I have better things to do.

We've had significant snow loss this week due to some rainy, windy and warm days. I love it - we've even registered some 50 degree marks here and there and the low last night was 34 degrees. The bikes have come out of the basement, I've started some Peonys inside and the area over the septic tank is barren of snow. Yes folks, spring is in the air.

Monkey and I decided to hike the Eastern Trail on this 'Spring Forward' Sunday - well, he threw his bike in the back of the truck and I put on my hiking shoes. Much to my suprise, the trail was basically free of snow (not of dog poo though - I wish people would pick up after themselves and their pets) - Monkey was excited to be able to take his first real 'bike ride' of the season.

The tide was dead low, the smell of the salt marsh somewhat overpowering, the sun mostly overtaken by clouds and the wind non-existent. Massive flocks of Red-Winged Blackbirds and Canadian Geese moved over our heads, returning from their wintering in warmer climates and being very vocal about it. Black Ducks, Mallards, Green-Winged Teals, Common Mergansers, Buffleheads and Goldeneyes navigated the waterways dodging huge chunks of ice that were racing to get out to sea before they melted completely. A Cardinal insistently called from a neighboring backyard, I'm not sure if he was looking for a/his mate or telling all the newly migrated immigrants to 'stay off the lawn!'. I could hear a Song Sparrow but never saw it, and many other sneaky birds were singing from the overgrowth but not seen (I'm not that good at keeping a rollodex of bird songs in my head!).

We walked/biked for about a mile in and turned back. We swung over to the Audobon's Nature Center building right up the street and found hundreds of Geese and Ducks hanging out over there, dabbling in the muck for scraps to eat.

On the way home I realized that it won't be long and we'll be taking the same hike as a refuge from the inland heat.

A very nice walk with a great reminder that spring is most certainly on it's way.