After a week of sub-freezing temperatures, we had a day and a half of spring.  I went out on Tuesday to do some errands, and couldn’t resist making a detour over to the lake.

While most of the lake was still frozen solid, a small area in the center had thawed enough to create a bathing pool for just about every goose, duck, and seagull in our area.  There were literally hundreds of birds reclining on the ice around the pool, honking, congregating, and hopping into the water for a dip.

I didn’t have my camera with me on Tuesday, but my husband and I went back at lunchtime on Wednesday just before the torrential rain started.  By then, a lip of ice had melted around the lake’s edges, and the sky had turned dark and moody.

Not that it deterred the wildlife.

The geese seemed somewhat fascinated with the new rim of melt at the lake’s perimeter and skated over to investigate.

I hadn’t realized how much I missed fresh air and the loamy smell of springtime.  By now the rain and last night’s (mildly alarming) winds have returned us to a winter climate.  But for that short little interlude I took walks sans jacket and worked with windows wide open.  Five more weeks until peepers and daffodils.  Spring is coming; I couldn’t be more ready for it.