Weather Goes Poikilothermic

What a fun word, that. When we learned it in college biology (or could it have been high school?), we found a mnemonic—it was dubbed "poky," for those abrupt ups and downs you'd see if you graphed it.

Two days in, March is already poikilothermic; probably Colorado weather always is. Yesterday noon it was 72 degrees F here (22C); today it will be about 30 (-1C) at noon, as it is now. Friday it was in the upper 60s F; about 20C. Maybe I should start a graph.

The homeotherms out there (and only homeotherms are out on a day like this) are enjoying the suet and sunflower seeds, not having much of a problem adjusting at all. They were scarce yesterday though, other options for foraging perhaps prevailing. In the "something new" department, nine robins are hanging out in the ash tree, all either fat or fluffed up to stay warm in these mild but blizzard-like conditions. March generally is our snowiest month.

Coming home from errands yesterday, we made a quick stop at the trailhead to check the progress of spring. Dark buds of the Easter daisies, one of spring's first flowers, are tucked tight in the hearts of their tiny rosettes of leaves. They hold a promise, out there under the snow, whispering "soon, soon."

As for colors, there was no "gray light of dawn" this a.m., nor blue either. It went straight to white. I have a picture, but the computer is not cooperating, so I'll add it another time. Doesn't really matter; we can't see anything anyway.