April is now prepared to hand spring over to May. And with that handover, it looks as though May will be inheriting some of the rain that has distinguished April. Today, another all-day rain, just like yesterday. The difference is that yesterday heavy rain began early and continued throughout the day so we weren't able to get out with Jackie and Jillie for their daily ramble through the forest. The addition of overnight rain last night left a sodden mess in the morning. But the rain had come to a temporary halt.

 

 

Soon after our breakfast we decided we'd have to take an earlier-than-usual hike with the puppies to get them and us out of the house for a walk. The rain had re-commenced but it was light and we wore rainjackets. Once they're out in the woods Jackie and Jillie don't complain about how drenched everything is. Besides which, they've had boots put on their tiny feet, along with a rainjacket. Although there's no leafy canopy yet to shield us from light rain, it was just fine.

 

 

The canopy is beginning to show some early signs of foliage. Mostly it's the poplars, almost everything else is right behind them, maples will soon begin to leaf out but the oak will take the longest. Meanwhile the pines and spruce do their best to shelter the forest trails. Despite the rain there were birds aplenty; robins and nuthatches were pretty perky.

 

We heard a cacophony of crows at one point and knew that some poor owl was being relentlessly harassed. Eventually we did see the crows in the distance, about a dozen of them flying about a tree whose occupant couldn't be seen from where we were forging ahead on one of the forest's major trails. I thought I might have seen the owl depart from its perch when the crows left the immediate area when a large bird flew off, then I realized it was a Pileated woodpecker.

 

It landed on a tree a little closer to where we were, and I tried to photograph it but by the time I had my wits together and used the photo enlarger, it was gone, flown off again and nowhere in sight. I keep trying to snap photos of this magnificent large bird but haven't yet succeeded. When it's close enough to try, by some strange alchemy it takes notice and quickly moves to the other side of any tree whose trunk it's perched on, where it can't be seen. Not because it fears an enemy since it has no enemies; its size and weaponized beak shelters it in that sense.

 

Not only was it cold and wet, but there was, once again, a wicked wind, swaying the canopy with a sound not unlike a train. There are times when high winds bother Jackie and Jillie, but not on this occasion; too many intriguing smells to occupy them. The rain, other than the light patter we were walking through, politely held off until we returned home. Mission accomplished; a try at getting out later in the day would have been thwarted by the return of heavy rain.

It seemed that no one else wanted to test the waters -- as it were -- by heading out for a vigorous stump through the rainsoaked forest, for we saw no other dogs, no one else out and but for the presence of birds and squirrels had the forest to ourselves.