Happy Earth Day! It was gray in the morning but then the wind came through, blowing away the clouds and bringing with it some frigid air. We celebrated Earth by having our pond cleaned out, making way for a new batch of little fish in another month or so. The pond cleaners found only one frog. We haven’t heard any for weeks, and it’s quite possible raccoons have been eating them, as well as the hawks and the blue heron that stops in every once in a while. I saw my froggy friend later, hanging out in the skimmer box while waiting for the pond to refill from the hose. We’re hoping his friends join him…and feast on the Brood X cicadas about to emerge.

Went for a walk through the woods and noticed one of the trees was cut down (it was dead and right next to the trail). I’m pretty sure it wasn’t a beaver, unless they’ve acquired tools. But I am concerned that my toothy friend, who had been working on a live tree a few months ago, hasn’t made any progress in weeks. I’m thinking about calling the town to see if they’d trapped it.

Zoomed with Mom this evening, showing her the flowering shrubs around my yard (the miracle of the iPhone). It snowed in New York where she lives now. She’s in good spirits as long as we avoid the question, “what did you do today?” She’s happy to listen to us talk about our lives. I’m planning a trip there over Memorial Day weekend; six weeks before I see her again—assuming they aren’t on Covid lock down still.