Spring is a wonderful time of year for Ol’ Dutch. Elk season wasn't so long ago and I recall sitting in the beautiful aspen groves, watching golden leaves cascade down around me on their autumn journey to the ground. Without the promise of spring and fresh leaves to follow, it would have been a depressing sight. 

Fast forward a few months and those same trees have new buds popping and the birds start their yearly journey North to nesting grounds, hope springs eternal as they say, and my heart warms with joy. 

Ol’ Dutch and Miss Trixie have a winter abode in Texas and on that ranch land we have a rather large pond. Now in Texas they call that a “tank” for some reason but a tank to Ol’ Dutch is one you buy at the farm store made from galvanized metal. Regardless of the name, the water draws in a great menagerie of wildlife and I love seeing the birds in particular making their yearly stop at my pond.  

Last week we had the big white cattle birds come back and they hung around a few days eating the bugs the cattle’s feet kicked up. They are tame as can be and their only fear is the little calves who seem to take great pleasure in charging them to make them fly.  

Redwing Blackbirds also come and make their nests in the cattails and their cranky calling would probably be a bother to me but Ol’ Dutch can't hear it anyway. So it's all good.  

Ducks and geese have appeared from further South and stop a day or two before moving on toward Canada to nest in the wetlands up there. So it's been for hundreds if not thousands of years and it's a remarkable feat to think about their journey generation to generation.  

The Monarch Butterflies also stop by on their way North. These amazing insects travel 3,000 miles from Mexico to Canada every year and return to the same trees from whence they hatched. Now that is some pretty impressive stuff right there.  

That migration reminds me of another migratory species that is making its way South to North this time of year and that's the Winter Texans. When I first heard the term I automatically thought about, well, Texans living in the South during the Winter months.  

But lo and behold it really refers to anyone who heads South the minute a snowflake hits them where their mother paddled them. And even Canadians can be Winter Texans much to my surprise.  

My own little social butterfly, Miss Trixie herself, is getting ready to fly off on her own migration pretty soon too. She will head out to cool colorful Colorado in the next week or so and just like the Monarchs, she will return to the same tree so to speak. Well, it may not be a tree, but we have pretty much settled in South Fork and call that our home. So heading there is as natural for us as it is for the beautiful butterflies making their journey.  

We will once again be driving the passenger vans for Mountain Man Rafting/ Narrow Ridge outdoors so come see us if you can and enjoy the nice cool river. On that note, the snowfall was really short this past winter leaving the Rio Grande River short on water for the summer season.  

But Ol’ Dutch, ever the proverbial Rain Maker, is also set to head out there once I get a few more chores done on the ranch.  

Join with me and Tanya Tucker and sing along and let it rain.  

Step back, non-believers 

Or the rain will never come 

Someone start that fire a-burning 

Somebody beat the drum 

He said some may think I'm crazy 

For making all these claims 

But I swear before this day is over 

You folks are gonna see some rain. 

Come on rain, come on. We'll see you all on the water  

Kevin Kirkpatrick spends his days fishing, hunting, ATVing, hiking or making people laugh. His email is Kevin@TroutRepublic.com. Additional news can be found at www.troutrepublic.com or on Twitter at TroutRepublic.