@Shopping - Birding (4)

As the snow recedes and the sun is our companion for longer each day, it's clear that spring is imminent.

Only a week to go before Keigwin + Company alight at the Joyce Theater to perform the shimmy-shaking "Caffeinated," the bedbug-less "Mattress Suite," the striding " Runaway ," and, making its premiere, "Bird Watching," which the choreographer discusses here .

No, this isn't about the rock group. It's about how to attract birds to the back yard.

The Lower Valley is getting a new man-made lake to improve drainage. The lake will also be open to the public for bird-watching and picnicking.

Jim Fry, a retired naturalist for the Columbus Metro Parks and a nature writer for the Columbus Dispatch for many years, will be in Middleport Tuesday, March 9 to share information on "Birds of Ohio." The free program will be presented at 7 p.m. at the Riverbend Arts Council, 290 N. Second Ave., Middleport.

If you have pets and you live in an area where there are a lot of dangers, especially in the friendly skies, we need to be a little cautious.

Submitted by Pat Minelli on February 22, 2010 - 12:34pm. The Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge offers free, naturalist-led programs year-round. Take part in a Bird Watching Trek from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refugea s Wilkie Unit, 7701 County Road 101 E., Shakopee.

Saturday, February 27, 2010 at 12:03 a.m. Howard Lipin / UNION-TRIBUNE Margaret Elman of Pacific Beach and Paul Zepf of Mira Mesa watched birds last week on a San Diego Audubon Society field trip at Kit Carson Park in Escondido.

The notes of condolence have come from as far as Texas and Nova Scotia, with hundreds of similar sentiments from Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland as well.

Dear Heloise: We have two mini schnauzers, Millie and Maggie, who sleep at my feet all day in my home office.