Not Sure I'm Completely in Love with Spring

[Diat60]

Have had to sleep with the windows closed lately because of a cardinal (may his line be curst) screaming at 4:30 am. Went shopping today and come home to kitchen cupboards crawling with ants. Everything's been emptied out and sprayed and cleaned within a inch of its life. What next? Thinking fondly of good old quiet sterile Winter.

[Stella]

I'm in love with Spring, but I'm not in love with my neighbor who always cleans out his barn, first nice day we get, and spreads the manure in the field next to me. Beginning of May, he or the kids show up to plow the field. My dogs bark non-stop until that chore is done. The following week they're back to plant the damn field, and I get more non-stop barking from my dogs. Respite until fall, when the whole process starts anew. Plus this year, they will be working the field on the other side of me. Would you call all that barking a duet or symphony?

And now that we are mowing the grass, dogs and people track that in on my clean floor.

Did I mention the dead groundhog on my front porch this morning?

Ahh, the lovely joys of Spring.

[mbday630]

ah, you guys! I love spring. I still remember that all my old high school boyfriends would remark that my dad would spread manure on the field next to the house when I had a date. I hated it then, but, what fond memories now! I was telling my mom today that I love the sound of kids playing outside. we have some triplets that are behind our house and I love the sound of them laughing and playing. I love the sound of geese and birds flying. when I hear the oriole, I am looking outside. I love every second of the smell and sound of spring and summer. even the manure smells, even the lawn mowers, well, everything. I am definitely a summer girl.

[StarLite]

Sorry some of you are having such a hard time with spring so thought I'd make a little something to get you in the mood. Click the pic to see the animation. Hope you like it

[Diat60]

Ah, Starlite, thanks so much - spirits are lifted. Now could someone come and shoot that damned cardinal?

[Jude]

Very nice, Starlite.

But I don't like spring/summer, either. Allergies, bugs, screaming kids, and it's just too damned hot and humid. (We're already getting 90 degree temperatures :( ). Normally I prefer winter, but we've been getting a lot of rain/ice alternating with bitter cold and high winds for the last few winters. I miss winters where it stayed in the 20s most of the time, and springs where you needed a jacket and a blanket at night. Summers were always miserable, although now the misery is starting in spring.

[LadyKestrel]

Our garden birds have been making a racket as well, Diat, but I just put my earplugs in when they get a bit too rowdy. The loudest are the the laughing gulls that often hang out in the parking lot behind me, looking for handouts and squabbling over tidbits, and the fish crows with their rough caws that sound like they have sore throats.

I like the animation, StarLite!

[Rosaboobie]

For me it's the starlings, they make such a flipping racket - I am dreading it when their chicks hatch.

Oh, Stella, they are putting slurry daily on all the fields around me but I really dont mind the smell - it reminds me of Jersey when I was a child!

[StarLite]

Glad everyone is enjoying the pic. Spring and fall are my favorite time of year. Robins drive hubby nuts, I think they're all on the same clock, they start here at 3am sometimes. I thought birds slept through the night. Maybe they all talk in their sleep.

The thing I hate more than anything are the bloody stereos. If these people can't sleep at night could they at least put a set of headphones on. Although these past few nights whoever it is has been giving us a break or else they're on holidays or in jail.

I'm looking forward to turning 65 so we can move up in the woods. I don't care if we're on well water and septic, I can't deal with noise anymore. But today we have a nice sunny day, I doubt I'll get any yard work in. I did some yesterday and now my back is killing me. So looks like another day of working on Hawk Manor, I'm close to finishing it so you guys will have something to keep you busy for a few hours. I'm off, shower time and I'd like to get that in before I eat.

Have a great day everyone, sit back and try to relax with your favorite brew and enjoy the spring as best you can

[Rosaboobie]

StarLite, I am also extremely noise intolerant, and it gets worse, the older I get lol!

[Kickaha]

Ditto on the noise - nature's noises I can cope with, but musak no.

[LadyKestrel]

Speaking of noise, I just had to bring Zork and Radar in because both of them were barking so hard they started to howl. I've never heard such commotion before, but I guess it was the combination of the fire siren sounding and a St. Bernard being walked in our back field that set them off. I've never heard Radar howl before and Zork only once or twice, but they had an amazing duet going for several minutes.

[Diat60]

Our little Lhasa-poo is a barker par excellence, barks at every sudden noise, and especially when someone comes to the door. The poodle picks up his signals from her but instead of barking, he screams and won't stop until everyone's inside. Between the two of them and us shouting at them to "stop!" we do a pretty good version of bedlam here.

[Rosaboobie]

Barks I am not keen on - but howls I love - My African dog Rusty used to "bay" like a hound - a really eerie sound, but I loved to hear it.

[LadyKestrel]

Yes, it's sometimes difficult to see the wolf in some dogs, but we can often hear it. My aunt had a Alaskan malamute who never barked but only ever howled.