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Usually the first warm heavy rain of the year brings the crawdad's out. I'll usually see them driving home at night in the dark when the rain has turned the driveway into a small creek.
These first crawdads of the year are typically large and defensive. If one is in my path in danger of being crushed by the wheel of the vehicle I'll get out and move it out of the way with a stick. All I have to do is poke at it, the crawdad grabs hold and hangs on as I move it to the side of the road.
With forecast of heavy overnight rain -- that turned out to be not-so-heavy -- I took my shovel to unclog the culvert in the driveway Wednesday afternoon and found the first crawdad of the year burrowed into the damp leaves.
As with the daffodils, woodcocks and as of Tuesday blooming crocuses in the backyard, these spring occurrences seem to be coming awfully early this January.
However, this crawdad was not waving his threatening claws around as much as the first crawdads usually do, so I may have disturbed it before it was ready to move.
Brian DeNeal grew up in the hills of southeastern Illinois and spends as much time as he can exploring the hollows, bluffs and creeks that draw tourists from throughout the Midwest. He is a staff writer for The Harrisburg Daily Register/The Eldorado Daily Journal and sits on the River to River Society board of directors. You may contact him via e-mail at the address bdeneal@ yourclearwave.com
