The other night, at dusk, Paula and I were walking down the lane along the deep ravine, coming back from the back pasture, and a barred owl flew past and landed in the branches of a tree near the fire pit. The silhouette of the owl was perfectly outlined against the fading sky.

The next day I encountered the first box turtle of the season, its back still carrying dirt.

And yesterday Ripley, one of our “guard dogs,” kept barking at something in the woods. When Paula finally investigated, she discovered a snapping turtle about 18″ long, lumbering up from the neighbor’s pond, heading toward our smaller pond near the barn. In the ponds these days, Spring peepers sing all night, and the rhythm and depth of the chorus keeps changing, deepening.

Last week a red fox walked past the kitchen window early in the morning, and a few days later the dogs saw the fox in the woods and gave chase.

Wildflowers are in bloom: Spring beauties, trout lily, squirrel corn, bloodroot, cutleaf toothwort, and a few yellow wood poppies opening up. May apples making their appearance.

Windows open at night, finally, with the sound of owls chatting to each other. Perhaps they are saying the same thing I am saying: Ahhh, Spring.