There are new calves all up and down the valley — they’ve arrived in the past week or so. Not only are they incredibly cute, but they play — a reminder that even beef cattle once had a wild nature, before we bred it out of them. When I leave the cabin in the mornings they’re down there, nestled in the hay, goofing off, nursing, and one bold boy had a standoff with my Subaru the other morning.

Today’s wildlife count also included a juvenile bald eagle on a fence post, a full-grown golden eagle on a roadkill deer carcass, and the usual assortment of mule deer and whitetails. The elk seem to be hiding somewhere up on the mountain, although we did drive through a small band of mountain goats the other day on the Tom Miner road. Mostly ewes, although there were a couple of young rams, their horns just starting to curl. The newspaper also warns that the Yellowstone bears are starting to emerge — so spring is definitely starting to break here in Montana. And we’re all ready for it (although I’m sure we’re going to get another couple of snowstorms).