The Joy of Tropical Spring
Cooling it in the garden
It’s January and not really spring in Puerto Rico, although it seems like it to me. Light showers refresh almost ever evening. Birds (especially the damned roosters) seem to be singing louder and more often than ever. The island — usually lush — is lusher. I haven’t had to water my gardens in a month! The bright sun and soft breeze today inspired me to share some weather-induced euphoria.
Each of our three hens just hatched a nest full of chicks. The roosters are strutting proudly about (when they are not raiding the cats’ food.)
Maybe it’s the cooler days (high of 80º F) and cooler nights (high of 70º F) here on the mountain. Maybe it’s relief from hurricane season. But whatever it is, nature is exuberant.
The game fowl are descendants of a breed my late brother-in-law once raised for cock fights. How two of their chicks (one rooster and one hen) turned out almost pure white is anyone’s guess. The others are all dark brown-black with a sheen of…
