The Slow Unfolding of Spring

This was a month ago. I wrote this, and then I got sick, and didn't see it, didn't think of it, for almost exactly a month when I found it in my drafts this evening. It was such a lovely trip to the park, and a productive Nature Study. The pond is thawed now, and last week we saw the turtles that give it its name. It's remarkable the difference the month can make.
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We have a nature preserve we like to visit, and see what is happening in the pond. They closed the pond area for the winter, and last week was the first week we were able to go look at the pond since last fall.

It was still frozen solid. 

We went back this week, and I was surprised at how solid it still is; we've had temperatures in the mid 60s all week, and even had rain one day. 

There's some free water around the very edges, but mostly, the pond is still frozen pretty solid. 

The boys tried stabbing the ice with sticks, but for the most part, the ice still didn't care. 

Dragon noticed that some of the sticks on the ice are sunken, embedded into the ice.

We think that the water is melting a little in the daytime, so the sticks are in puddles in the day, then at night it refreezes. It isn't very warm today, so the sticks were still embedded in the ice. 

Then we headed out into the woods by the pond. Nearly all of the snow is melted, and there is less mud (yay!!), but things are mostly still dormant. We talked about how some animals live in a brush pile like this. Hero was pretty surprised that a pile of sticks could be so useful.

Our little Tigress is delighted by all the going "side" we've been doing, and she has to be right in there, exploring and discovering with her brothers. She was easily the muddiest when we got home. Not long after this picture was taken, she tumbled off that root and was fine... except for the mud.