It was warm today, almost ridiculously so, with temps in the 50s and an inordinate amount of melting going on. After nights and nights of two stokers for the wood stove—that's when I got up twice to feed the fire—we didn't need our heater. The house was fine without it. Perhaps taking a cue from the respite, the shingles by the light next to the kitchen door were temporary home to a small squadron of insects, among them, several Caddis Flies. Members of the insect order Trichoptera are perhaps best known as the aquatic larvae that build their own protective cases out of whatever pond and stream bottom material is handy, and, like Hermit Crabs, carry their homes with them on their journeys. Eventually, they metamorphose into adults that can easily be confused with night-flying moths. I don't know whether this new arrival is a recent metamorph or a survivor from last year—an adult that found a place to hide from winter and emerged when the warmer weather called it outside, probably to look for a mate. In either case, it best not get too far from a suitable shelter spot. The Thaw can't last much longer.