Spring - do you see the signs?

Again rejoicing Nature sees
Her robe assume its vernal hues:
Her leafy locks wave in the breeze,
All freshly steep’d in morning dews.

- Robert Burns

Do you see the signs of Spring in the air? Besides the sugaring of the maples, Spring has been telling me it is nearly here in other ways too.

This morning I was serenaded by the "Songbird Top-40" master himself, the mockingbird. Some think Spring is nearly here when they see the first robin. Not me. Robins show up usually just in time to get a whole lot of snow dumped on them. I look for my mockingbirds to show up. They are a much better judge of Spring.

I also look to the pussy-willow. Like the mockingbird, it is rarely wrong in heralding Spring. Once the pussy-willow catkins get all fuzzy and fun to touch, spring is nearly here. My pussy-willow tree says it is time. See a close-up of its grey and pink catkins to the right. This afternoon I cut a big pussy-willow bouquet to bring in and dream of the warming days.

-kim