It's that time of year...

[tyflier]

"Spring has sprung, the grass is ris'...I wonder where the birdies is?" That's a little sing-song that my mother used to calm me down when I was a baby. We would walk around town(we lived in a very small town in upstate NY), looking for birds, and squirrels, and singing that little phrase over and over.

Now, I'm 34 years old and have a daughter of my own. She knows that song, too. Only now...we don't walk aorund a small town looking at robins and squirrels...we have an entire alpine heaven just waiting to be explored and discovered.

With the warmer than normal temperatures over the beginning of this spring, the animals are out, babies are being born, and beauty is all around.

Viewing opportunities abound in this area...we have everything from ground sqirrels to mt. lions...horned lizards to rattlesnakes. Open your eyes, look around, and always have a camera ready, because you never know when that elusive little Zonata king snake might slither by, or you may be graced with a view of a litter of baby chipmunks feeding from their proud and protective mother. Fish are spawning, mammals are mating, and reptile eggs are pipping. Marmots are exploring your backpack, fish are picking at mayflies, mule deer are shedding their velvets, bears are foraging for berries, snakes are lazing in the sun on a warm rock, lizards are skittering across the road, and all around us, the miracle of wildlife is happening.

So grab a camera and bottle of water, and go find some. Take pictures, take the kids, and take a lifetime of memories home with you. Enjoy the Eastern Sierra!!