Shoveling snow over the weekend, I heard one of my favorite sounds – my first cardinal song of the year. That was enough to remind me that the freezing season isn’t going to last forever. February is coming, and tho it can really suck, at least it is short. Then, with March, comes the realistic possibility of a decent day here and there, with the grass greening up by St. Patty’s Day.
In case you have forgotten, Feb 2 coming up is a cross-quarter day, halfway between the solstice and the equinox. Celebrate it by looking around you for signs of the coming season. Any crocuses or snowdrops peeping at the foot of a south facing wall? You may have noticed the squirrels have been pretty frisky since sometime in the middle of Jan. Is the day a little lighter when you wake up/leave the house in the morning, or return at night?
(Of course, those of you fortunate – or intelligent enough to live in warmer climes, feel free to gloat with stories about going outside wearing shorts to pick oranges off the tree in your backyard.)