A Messenger of Spring

Most people see the Robin as the first sign of Spring.  They get all excited when they spot one on the front lawn or in the backyard.  It gives them the hint that soon there will be green grass, blooming flowers and trees, and lovely weather.  That is especially true for those of us who live in places that have snow till April.

But for me, my hint of Spring came in a different form.  It came as a rather plump partridge walked out from under a large evergreen tree in my backyard and waddled its way across the snow to reach my poor, bare apple tree.  Once there, it flew a very short way to the first branch and sat there surveying the scene around it before flying down to the snow once more and waddling back under the evergreen tree.  It's visit wasn't very long, only about an hour or so, but it brought with it a brief glimpse that Spring in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan was coming.  With the cold and snow on the ground still, we "Yoopers" will take every hint we can get.