Weeks of Work Ahead.

3-28-17 SHORT HILLS: We’ve been back in NJ for a few days. Winter and the snow are reluctantly in retreat as spring slowly grows stronger. It’s still below freezing at night, but the afternoons are in the forties, and a sixty is predicted for later in the week. The last two days have been a bit rainy. I am continuing to do clean up as the snow gives up it’s secrets. Almost all the shrubs are now free of the snow.

I have been adding sticks and branches to a huge pile in the street. We await the return of the tree people to do major pruning and clean up of the big branches. Next week the fence repairman will come to the yard and give us an estimate. I cut up one large ash tree branch for firewood and split the thicker pieces. The town is literally littered with broken trees.

New blooms: crocus.


First crocus here, there have been others around town in sunnier spots.

Tufted titmouse.

Eastern white-breasted nuthatch, probably female.