I heard the first spring peeper of the year this evening: that for me is the real sign that spring is here! Of all the signs of spring, this to me is the most moving. For those of you who don't know spring peepers, they are tiny (almond sized) frogs. They gather in sometimes enormous numbers in temporary rain pools to breed in late winter and early spring. The males have an amazingly piercing call: alone, one sounds like a shrill whistle ( actually, a lot like a sopranino recorder); in a group they sound just like sleigh bells! Here's a site which gives the sound: http://enature.com/fieldguide/… Jim McKenney jimmckenney@starpower.net Montgomery County, Maryland, USA, USDA zone 7, where the return of cold weather is predicted for tomorrow.