Around here, life is stirring from its wintery slumber.

Walking the dogs today, I spotted the first sprigs of green popping up through the brown fields. Birds circled looking for our feeders.

The mountaintops of the San Juan Mountains are losing their white caps.

Ice is sliding from our rooftop in great chunks. Once it’s all gone, the cycle of daytime melting, nighttime freezing will end.

Thanks to our grandson, who spent hours of his spring break with us chopping up the 12-15” of ice from the front walk, we have a safe path into the front yard.

Our warm days will keep the thickness from returning. We’ll still have ice, but not the buildup that was so treacherous.
<p style="text-align:left;">The mini-mountains of dirt from the garage addition excavation last year are turning back to brown. <a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/dirt-as-of-11-13.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-4392 aligncenter" alt="dirt as of 11-13" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/dirt-as-of-11-13.jpg?w=300" width="300" height="134" /></a></p>
I think I preferred the snow cover. Unfortunately, until the ground itself thaws, the landscaper can’t move the dirt around and away.

<a href="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/daffodil.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-4393" alt="???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????" src="http://judythewriter.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/daffodil.jpg?w=200" width="200" height="300" /></a>Every day more and more of the snow covering the flowerbeds melts. Under the snow blanket, I hope the fifty daffodil and tulip bulbs I planted last fall are pushing up.

After thirty years in tropical Houston, I look forward to the smiling faces of daffodils and tulips in my garden and not in a store-bought pot.

At least until the deer come to munch on them.

Our trees are budding, but barely. Soon nubs will fill the bare Aspen and Cottonwood branches.

The rich earthy smell of spring is just around the corner too. I can feel it in the air.

You know the scent of snow-cleansed soil and growing things. A perfume combination no amount of chemistry can reproduce.

How about you? Are signs of spring coming to your neck of the woods?