Spring is here, astronomically speaking. Actually, Spring waits for no man, nor woman neither. It happens whenever it's ready.

For the last few months I've been a real stress cadet for various Health reasons. The more stress I I'm in the more things fall apart around me. Technology doesn't respond favorably to stress I've found. Phone don't work Computer don't work truck don't work memory don't work nothing works. Can't understand paperwork. Due to an avalanche of Stress I happened to miss a good chunk of February and March. I was out to lunch, breakfast, and dinner.

Imagine my surprise when yesterday I got outside and found how much Spring had advanced in my absence. I got out to Fort Worden in the morning after picking up my repaired little truck. It was a calm sunny morning with a little fog trying to sneek in from the straits. Some Ravens were calling up on the hill. On the Pier were lots of Violet -Green swallows, FOY for me. A few Mew Gulls on the sandy beach. The hillside above the campground was wonderful plant arrangement of bright green Indian plum, hanging tan Alder flowers, and blooming Big- leaf Maples. A few blooming Red -flowering Currants. Some Butter- butts were farting around up in the alders and a few Ruby crowned Kinglets were singing. Blooming Tall Oregon grape was quite showy.

Back at the pier I noted that one of my favorite drift logs,a big one which I've been photographing for several years has washed away-so it goes.

Then off to Kah Tai Prairie, to check on the wild flowers. A few yellow Spring gold Lomatium and a fair amount of Olsynium were blooming, and many White crowned Sparrows were singing.

Back at the ranch, a bird was singing loudly from the Greek Laurel. Hidden in the bush, the song was quite ornate and beautiful. It was quite extensive- at first I took it to be a House Wren but it seemed to be missing some of the really buzzy wren-like sections, but close. I pished once, and imagine my surprise when out popped a Fox sparrow. The sweet notes of the Fox Sparrow are really sweet. It's still around singing this morning. We get a few foxes around the feeder in winter but this is the first one I've heard singing. Wonderful. This is a song that I must've heard years ago in my mountaineering days but I have since forgotten.

Later, the Bald Eagle couple next door were fornicating up in their look- out tree. One of my mom's caregivers have never seen that before and thought it was pretty cool.



Jeff Gibson
Springing forth in
Port Townsend wa