1891
March 25
  Started at 8.20 this morning with F. Bolles and
drove to the Bryant farm in Lexington. The past
six days have been cloudy and dismal with snow, 
sleet, and rain falling much of the time, but this
morning the sun rose clear and there was a 
light breeze from the N.W. which by 9 A.M. had
increased to a typical March wind, roaring through
the leafless woods, ruffling the most sheltered forest
pools and bashing the tall, withered meadow grass
savagely to and fro. The greater part of the day,
however, was just warm enough to be delightful,
especially in openings in the woods and on sheltered
hillsides. The air was bracing but at no time raw
and there was a smell of earth mould and wet
leaves. In short spring was in the air. 
The roads were dry and hard in most places and
the grass tinged with green on sunny exposures while about
spring holes it was vivid green. There is little snow
or ice left except under evergreens in the woods and
on the north side of high banks. The ground is
still very wet and sodden and there is hard frost
under the leaves everywhere in the woods. 
  We heard a Bluebird or two before reaching [Hawley?]
and two Song Sparrows, one opposite the Adams
place being an exceptionally fine [?]. As the horse
was walking slowly up the steep pitch past the
lower mill pond there was a sudden whirring 
of wings behind us on the right and a bevy of
twelve Quail hurtled over our heads like a 
shower of cannon balls. They crossed the ravine
just below the house and disappeared over the