The Daily Bucket is a place to catch your casual observations of the natural world and turn them into a valuable resource. Whether it's the first flowers of spring or that odd bug in your basement, don't be afraid to toss your thoughts into the bucket. Check here for a more complete description.
After those weeks of dithering back and forth between winter and spring, Missouri seems to have finally settled into a season. And that season is... summer. Actually, though we had two days at 90+ degrees with a wind that seemed to be emerging from God's own hair dryer, we're back at more equitable temperatures today, and it looks like we'll cruise through the rest of this week without topping 75 or seeing anything that looks like ice. Let me just say... aaahhhh. We also got a good soaking rain overnight, which I was very happy to see. As someone who lives in the middle of the woods in a log house, I start to get nervous when things are too dry, and that hot wind had turned the place into a tinderbox.
As usual around these parts, now that spring is here, it's furiously here. The nightly frog chorus has been joined by various katydids. Wasps are trying to attach themselves to my home along every inch of the eaves, and shiny-tailed carpenter bees are looking to drill their perfectly round holes along every spot the wasps haven't claimed. I'm not about to douse the house with pesticide, but this is a painting year (they come along about every five years) so all these would-be colonizers are soon to be disappointed when I pull out the power washer and start prepping for all those heavy buckets and the Everest-worth of ladder climbing ahead.
The coiled leaves of Hostas have begun to spear through the ground at various spots. We favor a variety called "sum & substance" which forms big mounds of cupped and crenulated leaves. Each leaf on these guys can be nearly 2' long and they don't seem to be as pestered by either snails or deer as other varieties we've had. I also have some of the equally huge "T. Rex" blue Hosta, but those haven't reached full size in our yard yet. Maybe this year.
Turkeys are starting to call behind the house. Surprised that it took this long, as I saw one dressed up and ready for the ball a month ago.
One other bird that definitely seems to be in the mood is our Barred Owl. We have one that's around most of the time, and often hear him doing his chant day and night. But this week his "who cooks for you?" call has been accompanied by a lot of "who-awwww!" shouts, and last night I could hear his calls getting overrun by replies that came faster and faster until there was just a lot of "Whoo-whoo-whoo" going on out there. Those two need to get a room.
What's up at your end of the world?
Today's observations come from these locations
Share your own observations in comments, and I'll add a marker to the map. Please give a city and state (as close as you feel comfortable in providing). Green pins for observations mostly about plants, brown for animals, and blue for weather or other inorganic items. The letter at the center of each pin will be the first letter of the user who provides the data.