Middle Season #9 2026

 

Saturday, Mar 21

1. 6:06. First clear cardinal melody in the silent air. 3 doublets. Maybe falling octaves. At 6:20 he begins again, this time going birdy birdy birdy. And horse foot sound  gallop toohee toohee toohee
2. 6:45 the sky astounding pink. By 6:54 full. 
3. Shc overhead now. 1:30
4. 2:45. Shc continue. 5? 8?
5. Fence posts. At Menards. And clover killers. 
6. Brand 138/9
7. 3:55 single sound of sHC recently. But not for long time before. Another V of them at 4:08

Sunday

1. The winds have really picked up since 5 am. And the temp has dropped from 66 to 49. Not much bird song … the first I heard was 6:35 or so. Now the sound is clanging wind chime, the agitated crinkle of the fireplace plastic. A deep oceanic sound of big wind. 
2. 4:14. 39*. Rain has dotted the windows. Leaving blowing fiercely southward down the street. Tumbling. A rabbit in the lawn across the street. 

Tuesday 

1. 6:02. Robins constantly bickering this more ing. Outraged. 
2. 8:26. Geese outraged. Barely clear the roof of the school. Upstaged by theSHC. 
3. Good deal of green on the driveway honeysuckle
4. Bits of white stuffing emerging from magnolia trees

Wed

1. 5:28 first outraged robin 
2. 7:20 thick carpet of dif bird
3. Sounds. Robins, Rwb. 
4. 12:00. Trees by the side of the pool at school - ones with little fists of leaves opening at once at the end of stems.  Smaller than Pennie’s. 
5. Another trees with red tips -  2-3” of bright red. 

Thursday

1. 6:17. Very big winds now. The day got to 73 degrees and at noon began falling. 47 now and falling fast. 
2. Tiny leaves on raspberry bushes. Tiny leaves on Japanese lilac. 
3. 7:08. Sharp crack of thunder. And now hail 2 mins later 

Friday

1. Millions of little blue flowers in Hinsdale yards. 
2. Daffodils in FBW
3. In the scrubby Gowan a haze of green. 
4. Brand 290, 301 329

Saturday

1. 5:56 first bird I hear is a Robin. Outraged! 
2. 6:45. Some Robin is singing its heart out. A Coltrane solo, trying variations on an exploded chord. 
3. The three Robin posse comes to birdbath and glares at me for not keeping it filled 
4. 6:57. The back wall of the back room has sun print (opposite of shadow?) on the back wall. Above the fireplace mantel. By 7:06 it’s way below Mantel. The brightest is behind the shadow of the DVD player. 
5. Eddie Harris. Live right now. On electrifying EH
6. Korean spice bush has some branch ends in fists of blossom. And some relaxing cones? Of leaves. 

Sunday. March 29

1. 1 am. Moonlight not full coming into to the bathroom tile. 
2. 6:33. Robin singing its heart out. Repeating same phase insistently. 
3. Very bright red maple blossoms against blue sky. 
4. Pink magnolias not yet open 
5. White magnolia is about half open. 
6. Forsythias open. 1/2
7. Buds on trees. 
8. Paint house

Monday 

1. Robins up before me for the first time this year on this 50* low heading to 76* high
2. 79* at 3:45. Very breezy. Drinking Diet Coke on patio after 2.5 hours of work. 
3. Lots of leaves still on oak tree at 40th and Ellington
4. Bird nest. Mud. Washed out. Still intree 
5. Pink magnolia 1/8 open. 
6. Something sweet I. The air. Star magnolias?
7. In field park. Robins squawking. Kids at jungle gym complaining. Sun casting huge tree shadow on field park baseball field. Wind tumbling leaves, wind bringing RR crossing clang. Rr crossing clanging. Along with train bell. Sun annoying my left eye. 
8. Tennis dad tweaking, thwaking, commuter train ringing and motoring along idle speed, jetliner soaring, fly motoring, flags flapping in wind. Wind sound in the bare tree branches and behind my ears. 
9. 11:20 prolonged hail. Marble sized

Tuesday. Mar 31

1. Robins up before me again; then fighting in the streets before breakfast 
2. Just noticed that the tree across the street by the house is a pink magnolia 
3. Lots of broken Japanese lilac twigs on driveway. From last nights hail. 
4. 9:00 investigations of strange fluffing sounds from basement. Sump pump spewed thru standpipe. Smells fine. Stepping on tiles squishes up water. 
5. After the storm. Lawns turning green. Esp those that have been fertilized. 
6. Pink magnolia is having its opening day. 
7. Tulips we sing up buds
8. Star magnolias now dropping. Pink maga fully opening now. 
9. 4:20. Just this second a cold breeze begins. Drops humid i stately. Instantly