fire danger is low.  About in inch of rain earlier this week and then a couple dry days.  The creek looks fairly low.  Deciduous trees and shrubs are all leafing out - some leaves are still growing.  Last week I spoke too soon about the cherry tree.  It may not have been in bloom at 8 AM, but it was in full bloom at noon. Plum tree is also in full bloom, pear and apple trees have some blooms.  Native dogwoods are seen blooming, but my domestic dogwood is in a somewhat shady spot and hasn't bloomed yet. Tulips are done, the iris have not started.  A red-winged blackbird couple is claiming the area of our drainage ditch again.  The swallows are looking over our potential nesting spots.  Forget-ne-nots are blooming, dandelions are going to seed.  The lawn is growing like crazy.  Garden soil is really nice, moist and plenty of worms.  It works readily, yet I do not even need to water transplants because of the moisture.  I've moved a number of plants from my seedling trays into the garden or window boxes.  After the storms earlier this week< I saw snow on the sides of hills to the south where I have not seen any all winter.  Morning have been chilly, and I've been warming the house with a fire for a few hours, and covering my lettuce at night.  Maple trees have been pollinating heavily, as usual, and covering the cars and everything else outside with a thin layer of pollen.  Insects are numerous, notably, ants, paper wasps, and box elder bugs.  Something flew in the barn last night when my present activated to motion sensitive light.  I think it too early for our bat to be back??  But I also thought it too early for baby bunnies to be leaving the burrow, and I saw the barn cats conspiring to catch one yesterday evening.  Stinging nettles are t or 3 feet tall in places, and poison oak has leafed out enough to be easily spotted.  Thimble berries, blackcaps, and Himalaya blackberries are growing lots of new leaves, as are the roses and grapes.