Spring on the Hill

Spring is really beautiful here on the hill overlooking the Brazos Valley. The trees have greened as have the meadows and here and there a few wildflowers splash color. The local newspaper says the hummingbirds are back, but I haven't seen any.

But spring can be violent here. For three days the winds just howled from the west at 20-30 mph sustained with gusts probably reaching 50 mph. Perched as we are on the cliff, we catch every bit of that sirocco. It knocks over patio furniture and even blows down my barbecue grill, including the heavy gas canister -- picks it up and slams it into the flower bed.

The raptors love the gale. The black buzzards soar in the current, warping wings in the gusts to hover over unsuspecting prey or, like children, stretching their feathered arms to see how fast they can jet across the sky's expanse. Hawks soar and bank while lesser breeds hunker down in their nests until the windstorm passes.

No storm clouds, just wind. Beauty and fury -- that's a Texas springtime.