SPRING

You know it is spring when the rabbits and robins have returned.

I can only wish that this was the type of rabbit that returned but, alas, not so.  This rabbit is my granddaughter who dressed this way to serve patrons at Panera Bread where she works.  Needless to say, she was a big hit with the male customers, young and old.

No, the rabbits I speak of are the cute little bunny rabbits that will grow up to be big rabbits that dine at the buffet I call my garden.  While weeding along a fence line, Joyce uncovered a nest of tiny bunnies.  Their mother scampered off, as is the practice, to distract her and hopefully lead her away from the nest.  Joyce is single minded when it comes to weeding, so she continued digging and pulling.  And then, there they were.  Three tiny baby rabbits hunkered down and remaining very still, as their mother (or instinct) told them to do.

We left them alone knowing, however, that they will likely become playthings for one of the several free-range cats that roam the neighborhood.

We have a weeping cherry tree in our backyard that each year attracts a pair of robins.  We assume it is the same pair of robins each year, but we don't know that for sure.  (They all look alike, you know.) 

The first year they settled in to build a nest in the tree they had two eggs but one one hatched.  It died.  The next year they had better luck and raised two young ones to fledgling size.  One of them, unfortunately, jumped or fell from the nest before it was ready to fly and died.

We were happy to see them return this year and start again to build a nest in the fork of the weeping cherry.  It appears to be finished although we have not seen either mom or dad take up residence yet.  Still, their presence assures us that spring has arrived.