In Like a Lamb out Like a ...

Spring has sprung with a vengeance. March came in like a lamb and left like one, too. I just got the gas/electrical bill for that month, last year’s average temp was 2C/36F while this year’s was 8C/46F. Now, almost halfway through the month of April most lakes have declared ice-out, a week earlier than any previous record. One example, Sawbill Lake at the edge of the Boundary Waters was ice-free on April 4. The typical date without ice for that lake is May 1.

Closer to home, I am enjoying a very early greening. Our lilac bushes, always the first to burst their buds, started around April 1 and are by now a solid green wall. The maple trees surrounding our house are in full bloom, and various perennials are practically jumping out of the ground. Lynn has been waiting for the first tulips to open their cups, they can’t be far now.

I can’t shake the feeling that we will pay for all this early-season warmth with a frigid entry into May, possibly when I am sitting in the woods waiting for turkeys. But maybe this is really it, an early start to spring.