First springy day.

I was in shorts all day today.  The snow earlier this week is all gone in the clear areas, and it was warm!  These are the loveliest days of spring. The (very few) days before all the bugs come out.  It would have been the first barefoot day of the year, but I cannot go barefoot here.  Thorns everywhere - berry brambles and hawthorn, and I've had a hawthorn in my foot before.  Alas, here I live in boots. The mud season is here. This year the robins are back long before the spring peepers.  The peepers will announce the bugs.My bees obviously made it through the winter well, having a good fly today in the blessing of the sun.  It seems like all of them are facing the hive - the backwards flight, calibrating on the hive location.The pigs are captive and content, so things are a whole lot less exciting around here lately- thankfully!They're getting into rooting like old pros in the soft ground now. And warming up to me.  They come snorting up the camera, and then scamper away.The hens were having a good day in the mud world today.  I saw them slurping up worms like spaghetti.  The chickens don't know it, but these are their last days sleeping in the greenhouse.  As soon as the rain is done, their coops are out!  I´m sure they can't wait; there´s a week of sun coming, and they´ll be released outside at first light (as opposed to the past frosty interim days, where I keep them locked up until mid-morning when it warms up.  .  Summer chicken life - FREEdom!Inside the chicken dome it was spa in the sun time.  They make divots all over to bathe in, today's location (odd) was by the figs and feed sacks (oh well).I lone that I got this picture proof of how well they get along.  As a generality, they tend towards their own birds, but as individuals, the layers and bantams can get in the bath together.  I´m so grateful they're successfully integrated, because I won't have to surround the Silkies this year to protect them from the other chickens.  They can be free ranging too.  It will be interesting to see how much space they actually use now the flock is so much bigger.  Silkies barely "range" at all.