Simple Signs of Spring

It's been a long winter here in the Inland Northwest. In fact, some days it still feels like winter. According to http://www.weather.com/ the high for the next 10 days will be 58 degrees & the low will drop down to 26. They threaten snow on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Most days the kids still wear their winter coats and occasion they ask for hats and gloves, too. In the morning we still scrap ice off the cars and wake up to the ground being covered in white due to a passing hail storm.

Despite all of that, Spring is still making simple (sometimes little) signs of being here. While the kids are napping today I went out front to see what's deciding to come our regardless of the chilly weather. Here's what I found....

In my front flower bed, my tulips are getting great foliage and are budding. I suspect they will bloom in the next week or so. There is also another sweet blooming flower that most would know the name, but alas I do not. I will never fool you into thinking I'm a master gardener.

Last year I dug up lilacs out of my friend's, Melissa, yard. They were just sprouts, so I planted them along the front of my house and hoped for the best. They were pounded hard by snow this winter, so I didn't give them much chance for survival. However, they've pleasantly surprised me and are budding quite nicely.

Along the side of my yard is a bush that blooms white in the spring and then turns fire red in the fall. Again, I won't try and fool you, I have no idea what it is - other than beautiful. This last weekend I trimmed it up because it was getting obnoxiously tall and spilling into the neighbor's yard. At the time, there was no signs of new growth. Today there are little green buds all over it.

Finally, our 2 cats (Buddy & Princess), have started to venture outside. This isn't a great surprise when it comes to Buddy because he comes in and out of the house all year long. It's Princess who is showing signs of progress. When our front door is open she will sit just outside the door. She doesn't venture too far, for fear of being stuck out in "the wild". Staying true to her name, she must be near her servants (read: "us") and the comforts of her palace.

I'm so glad that to have Spring upon us. It's been a long time coming & it's never here long enough. Before we know it we will be in the middle of a sweltering summer, begging for old man winter to make an appearance again. It's a never ending cycle. . .