We think we were fortunate to get outside and bask in the sunlight on Tuesday and Wednesday during the last week of January. Areas of the East Coast were getting pummeled with heavy snow while we were seeing temperatures in the 60's and 70's.
Our winter in the middle of the continent has been visiting us for only short periods of time. It is no wonder that the lilac bushes behind our house are starting to bud. My wife and I saw fresh shoots of grass while we were at a park next to the Missouri River on Wednesday.
While these moments of springlike weather are certainly delightful, we worry about how the plants and animals will respond. We have started to see what appears to be mated pairs of birds at our feeder. Now as I write, it is snowing, and we can expect low temperatures in the single digits next week. It appears that there is indeed no normal weather anymore. If we are seeing spring in January, what will the other months bring?
