Has Spring Arrived?

     After a cluster of "Let's bring the plants in" nights, today was in the mid seventies and sunny.  I've been doing PT both at home and at "Sports Plus" to improve some original and some non-OEM parts.  We are doing a little everyday to get ready for the trip north.  The bus is set up at the FamCamp at the Naval Weapons Station here.  It is awaiting the arrival of the Pecks who are wending their painful way south from Maine to spend a few weeks thawing their bones.  The bus is awaiting a new inverter.  The inverter has two functions: it turns 12 volts DC into 120 volts AC when you are not plugged in and it provides DC to charge the coach batteries all the time.  The alternator on the engine charges the two 12 volt chassis batteries.  As we await a new one, my regular external battery charger is keeping the four coach batteries charged.
     As usual, we have been blessed with a pleasant assortment of wildlife.  Hey!, you didn't want to see pictures of inverters did you?  First there is a shot of "our"eagle in the sweet gum tree.

     He looks a little frazzled, but he is nice to have around.  On a smaller scale, we have the birds that consume great quantities of birdseed from the feeder.  Durelle keeps it full and brings it in at night to thwart the ravenous nighttime critters.

     Here is an Eastern bluebird that we hope got a favorable pitch from the local realtor regarding my birdhouse.  There are other feeders at the Cloutier trough.  Here's one.

     Here's another.

Then there are the visitors that we usually see on the far side of the pond.  Almost daily we see two or three deer.  Recently there was a group of eight.  I went out to document the event and captured five as they bounded away.

     We also have a blue heron that wanders around the edge of the pond.

     We are doing just fine.  Our biggest dilemma is one of scheduling.  My 55th West Point Reunion will occur on the weekend of May 1st.  That's too soon to head for Maine for the summer.  It has messed up our planning to a fair-thee-well.  If you have some great ideas about where to stall, I'd love to hear them.