It’s not cold, oddly, after the “winter front” passes through.  Is it a specter of Global Warming, and what does that portend?  Instead, the day soars to 80 degrees and this brings out great numbers of dragonflies around The Stockpond, and massive flights of the little Polka Dot Beetle.  Some of those beetles sport brilliant blue abdomens.

The miniature annual “Mediterranean Grass” (a Schismus sp.), most beautifully green, is germinating in every bare spot across the pastures.  It is tiny, but the cows will avidly seek it out.

Only two Poorwills in the road dust on my twilight drive home–and they will be the last of these mysterious yet engaging birds that either take a long winter’s nap here, or slip into Mexico in the night while we ourselves sleep.