Spring is deepening day by day. A few more days and the cherries will be in full bloom. Tomorrow, the temperature may even get up to 60ºF (15.5ºC). The last time it was so warm was back on October 27, 2013, nearly five months ago. Wild swings in temperature are rare here. The change from season to season is very gradual. Spring starts to arrive at the end of February here and doesn’t end until mid-July. Summer then makes a short appearance, but my mid-August, you can already feel Fall moving in.

In some ways, this is a great climate for chickens: never too hot, never too cold. Hazel is the perfect example of a happy chicken. She has an uncanny resemblance to Phyllis Diller. Her wild costume and ear-piercing cackle make Hazel the comedian of the flock.