We've turned off the humidifier and now all I hear is the frogs croaking (wife snoring I mean.)

Why'd ya turn off the bio filter in the RAS?

I heard the spring peepers for the first time two nights ago... It was nice hearing them again! Even in 44 degree weather they we out in force!

Been hearing sandhill cranes here in NE IL since a week ago Friday. Hearing that the snow geese are making their yearly spring push down by the farm/pond that last two weeks. Amazing site to see 10,000+ snow geese hitting a field and every where you look in the sky more are coming.

SPRING, WHAT SPRING?
03-12-10

I have a group of 14 Sandhills in a wetland near me. They sure are noisy! They were in the cornfield on the other side of the highway the other day.

No more snow! No more snow! No more snow! That means pictures too!

Our snow is pretty much gone except for a bit (very small amount) on the north side of things. The ground really never froze this year, unlike last year. And I have never had the plow on the tractor this year. Once, early on, I scraped slush with the FEL from my parents driveway, and that was it!

I plowed a lot of peoples driveways for free last year. They all have my number, and I never got one call this year. Hey, I try to help out, just no snow accumulation.

Be careful what you ask for. I was looking at a long range forecast for our region and we may drop into below normal temps in about a week complete with snow. Please say it isn't so!
Oh well at least significant ice on the ponds is over.

You hope!

Water temps 59 today.

Spring is close, we've lost alot of snow the past 2 weeks, last night we had heavy rain and the waterfall was really roaring this morning.


I have 2 of the gravity siphon pipes from above the waterfall open now and getting 70GPM. The pond is full and still 80% ice cover. They're predicting single digit temps. friday night.

Do you have any more pictures? Is that a beaver-made pond by chance? Thanks.

No the pond is a gully dammed at both ends, the small dam is at the lower right corner, you can see 1 of the 2 twelve inch outlet pipes. The cattails are on floating islands and the big dam is at the far end, no outlets on that dam. It was a cheap way to make a pond, $2500.

Any signs of trout survival over the winter AP?

I put in a fish trap yesterday and took it out this morning, one 4" GSH, no fish dinner.
The water temp. at 5ft. is 37F so I haven't lost hope yet, but it looks like this will be the earliest year for ice-out, maybe next week.

daughter jumped in the pond yesterday (air temps at 60ish). She is crazy, but it has been warm here. BG already feeding. Looking for the perch to start spawning. What an early Spring in Michigan. I wonder if people will start to sell FHM earlier?

So Dad was too chicken to go swimming, the water had to be atleast in the 40's, what good is a beach if you don't use it.

Good grief even this mouse has more cajones than coach.

Yeah Coach, even Cecil doesn't mind the cold water. (much) He'll go swimming when there is still ice on the pond.

It was my cajones that I was worried about!! I didn't want them to disapear up into my body cavity!!

Well, it will be in the 70's on Good Friday. I try to get pictures of her jumping into the pond, and me dipping my toe in.

I remember taking a trip to Cape Cod once as a kid. The water pretty much stays in the 50's even in the summer in the ocean there if I remember right. I remember bragging to an uncle that it was no big deal I was going to jump right in. WRONG! Man was that water cold!