Life along the Boise River.

The first signs of spring have appeared along the stretch of the Boise River that I walk every day. We had a few weeks of intense cold this winter, but by the end of January, things were warming up a bit.

I knew the thaw was real when I saw this massive iceberg floating down the river.

 And then the herons returned to their nests.

There were just a few at first, but soon the trees were filled with hoots and flapping, especially after the cormorants joined them.

Then someone started building little works of art out of the detritus found along the banks of the river.

In one section, we found evidence that beavers were at work.

Within days, the remaining trees were protected by rings of chicken wire. Beaver wire?

I hope there's such a thing as alligator wire.

P.