The only precip this week fell as traces of rain on two days. The first few inches of topsoil are dry, making the weeding of garlic mustard more difficult than last week. Large areas of fields about 3 miles from my station remain flooded, and the Fox River about 10 miles east of my station have crested and are considered to be in Moderate Flood stage. Several roads along the Fox River remain closed. Grass is bright green, daffodils are fading, prairie and white trillium are blooming, hydrangeas are budding, and lily of the valley are getting ready to bloom,  - all of these occurring 1-2 wks earlier than usual. The wild turkeys are roaming the yard, more visible than they are in the cold months. MTD, YTD, and WYTD precip all in the above normal range.