In the forums someone asked "How do you know when spring has arrived?" Now there's a question to ponder. As much as I try to identify a single event, I find it impossible to zero in on that one happening, that one sighting that says "Lets celebrate Spring!"

There are so many signs of spring, both obvious and subtle, that occur in such a gradual time continuum that one day I seem to just wake up and spring is here. Gosh, there's the biggies like the blooming of the serviceberries (a favorite of mine), and the blush of the redbuds that loudly proclaim spring has sprung. Then there is the sighting of the first robin, which appeared last Saturday, by the way, that says spring is not far off. How about the blooming of Lenten rose and the witch hazel still deep into the winter. Are these not perhaps the first evidence we have there will be a spring?

Yes, over the years I have come to recognize spring as a continuum.... it begins to creep into my conscienceness some where around mid-January, when we seem to always experience some sort of a thaw. Thats when I begin to watch the Hellebore's in the garden and look for the witch hazel blooms along stream bottoms in the woods. Then groundhawgs day offers a fun, tho often short respite to the still gathering winter. In case no body ever told you.... well we always have six weeks more of winter after ground hogs day.

Shucks, our coldest weather often comes in February, and March is famous for capricious storms. But that doesn't stop spring's inexorable march (sic) through the gloom of February. For sure the Hellebore's will bloom if they didn't in January. The winter aconites will push thru the soil, Daffodils will reach through snow remnants, if there are any. Crocus and Winter Jasmine will Bloom if you happen to have a couple of warmer days back to back. Is Spring here yet?.... nawllll, but its on its way.

So lets just set back and watch it creep in some more. I am one person looking forward to the full glories of spring, but I'm not so sure I would appreciate so much if it all came at once..... for then it would be gone all too soon at once. My challenge is to make all those myriad observations of little occurrences and appreciate them for what they are... spring springing.