We flushed a blue heron in an unlikely spot–just down the block at my neighbor’s far corner of his property, where there was a little creek.  It must have been drinking its water.  It just surprised me.  I never would have expected to see one there.

I mentioned it to someone I “bumped” into at the local supermarket and he declared they are everywhere and eat the bass in the river and also trout in other streams.  He complained the state will fine you $200 if you kill one.  And said they are so numerous they do not need the state’s protection.  I just shrugged my shoulder and continued walking down the aisle.

I am no longer going to entertain the idea of frying up any trout I catch on my camp/fishing trip in May. I remember last year keeping a little bigger sized rainbow trout than normal to eat it for dinner later.

I had placed it on a stringer in the water. It started bleeding from the gills. I could not bear the thought of it dying that way. I released it and permitted it to swim away. This year I will let all the trout I catch back in the water immediately. My days of killing fish are now gone.

Spring was less than a hair away–less than three weeks. Perhaps by then all the snow will have melted. The snow seems as if it was on the ground forever. Though it was only February and now the bare spots are bigger.

In fact, the daffodils have already poked their their heads through the ground. I checked today. The primrose can’t be too far behind.

I know the temperatures will rise gradually. Before I know it, spring will arrive and all this cold weather will just be a memory.

In ten weeks I will take my annual camping trip with Chuck. Maybe even catch some more trout on the lake. Who knows?

Though, I am still bundling up–even in the house. I don’t like to be cold. Winter is still a reality but I am now anticipating spring already and the warmer weather. I know it will have arrived for good when I start wearing my tee shirts again.