Signs of Spring

Signs of Spring
Originally uploaded by Spinneretta

It happened suddenly. The weather hopped up 10 degrees, maybe as much as 15 degrees between one day and the next, and spring arrived.
The first week of March was cool- in the 40's and 50's (that's between 4 and 12 degrees C). By the second week we were hitting the mid 60's (17C) to low 70's (22C).
Spring is here. We'll ride the rollercoaster of temperatures between the mid 50's to mid 70's over the next month, before gradually evening out into our summer temps by the end of April, but in the meantime, we are going to enjoy the progress of spring.

I have already seen my first crocus- hidden down in the woods and discovered by the kids. In some parts of the neighbourhood, daffodils are blooming- while they remain stubby leaves in my beds right now. My Hyacinths are ready to put forth flowers, though they will never be the showy blooms we got that first year (apparently that is perfectly normal, though I do wonder why).
So on a warm, but overcast day, I sat outside and drew some signs of spring.
I do it every year now.
A year ago, the crocus and daffodils were out and our neighbour's Bradford Pear was in blossom I have the pictures to prove it.
2 years ago I have pictures of me doing the gardening :) I didn't have a scanner then, so I have to actually look at my journals :) According to those, we first got into the garden in mid February and by this time in March, the trees were all blossoming and the henbit was out. So you can tell we have had a longer winter this year!!
In my picture, you can see the wild speedwell (the cultivated is not yet blossoming), purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum), daffodil leaves and Pennsylvania Bittercress (Cardamine pensylvanica).