Sunday, April 25, 2010

Breaking Hibernation

Even though it's still in the low 40's at night, it looks like the Terrance Alert Level is Orange--a Terrance siting is imminent.  Checking his burrow this afternoon found it to be open and as far in as I could reach, no Terrance.  There was a tunnel in the tangle of Vinca heading west, so he's likely in there, snacking on WUGS, filling up after a long winter's nap.  I've got strawberries and shrimp in the fridge, two of his favorites, for when he shows up in public.  Stand by for photos and the first weighing of the season. 

Friday, April 2, 2010

Terrance Alert Level

It's spring in NM and that means one thing:  you can't tell one day's weather from the next.  We've been up to 81 last Tuesday, yet tomorrow's high will only be 46.  Sunny one minute, cloudy the next.  Every time we go up to White Rock to work on the folks' house, it seems to snow.  Don't get me started about the wind today....

Right now it's 3:30 a.m. and the wireless remote thermometer at the mouth of Terrance's burrow reads 43.  Looks like he knows better than us what the weather forecast will be like.  Last year he didn't break hibernation until 3 May.

Of course, in years previous he's been out in early to mid-April.  We'll just have to see what transpires this year.

For now, I've devised a Terrance Alert Level and color coded it.  Today's Terrance Alert Level is Green--Terrance sighting is unlikely.