Spring storms blew around the house all day today, interspersed with periods of sunshine, enough sunshine to charge the batteries fully. I don’t think we’re ever going to get tired of the magic of solar power.
Dan went out to change the solar panels to a flatter angle, and while we were walking around on the bare spots we found our first flower for the year!
![buttercup Right next to a snowbank was not one, not two, but three Buttercups!](http://mtnmacaw.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/buttercup.jpg)
Right next to a snowbank was not one, not two, but three Buttercups!
This is one tough little flower. We were very surprised to see them gleaming in the sunshine, a bright yellow spot against all the brown grass. Wow! And some green leaves are also peeping though the grass. Spring really is coming!
Looking back to the house, it was bathed in the cold sunshine between storms. Snow still surrounds the house.
![spring-sunshine From inside the house it still looks like winter out of the windows.](http://mtnmacaw.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/spring-sunshine.jpg)
From inside the house it looks like winter out of the windows.
Turning around and looking to the west, another storm is fast approaching. About 20 minutes after I took this picture, the cloud arrived and spread snowflakes all over the sky. It’s slightly above freezing though, so they don’t actually amount to anything other than floating around.
![next-storm Dark clouds almost like thunderstorms roll across the sky](http://mtnmacaw.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/next-storm.jpg)
Dark clouds almost like thunderstorms roll across the sky
Close at hand, one of the many chipmunks scampered across the snow, heading towards the bird feeder for some of the dropped sunflower seeds. These little guys spend as much time chasing each other as they do grabbing seeds. Pretty soon there will be baby chipmunks and then the riot truly begins.
![chipmunk Yes, I know he's just a rodent, but he's such a cute rodent](http://mtnmacaw.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/chipmunk.jpg)
Yes, I know he's just a rodent, but he's such a cute rodent
Mishkin loves watching chipmunks out of the windows, and on the porch. He spends a lot of time dreaming about what he would do with one if he should happen to catch one. Here he is sacked out on the couch on his blanket, engaged in just such a dream.
![catnap Counting chipmunks in his sleep, and catching them if all the twitching is any indication.](http://mtnmacaw.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/catnap.jpg)
Counting chipmunks in his sleep, and catching them if all the twitching is any indication.