Tweeters: Even though spring is finally moving in, it is almost eerie to
hear time again on Tweeters: spring sure is late, I haven't seen or
heard ____ yet. That seems to be the theme of the past two months. The
reason this seems eerie to me is I have been re-reading some Rachel
Carson (Silent Spring), and it got me to thinking - "What if that really
happened... what if spring really were silent? It can almost bring
tears to your eyes to think of it.

We got yet another taste of that eerie feeling while camping last
weekend along the Clark Fork river in western Montana. We saw
wildflowers galore - orchids, lilies, old man's whiskers, trillium,
false Solomon's seal, wild clematis, violets, strawberry, fringe cup...
(each one so precious to look at and enjoyable to key out - they can't
leave, like birds!) But it WAS strangely silent and still, for a
85-degree sunny day, with everything in full bloom, -- only a few
birds, no thrushes especially.

My imagination went wild... what if...they're gone?

Kirsti Streifert
Coulee Dam, WA