Spring Ahead?

Last weekend, most of us performed the semi-annual task of changing the time on our clocks. “Spring ahead…fall back” is the chant. Duly noted and accomplished.

But is spring really right around the corner? According to the calendar, yes. The spring equinox officially occurs Monday, March 20, at 5:24 p.m.

But is it really spring? As I look out my window the snow is falling gracefully, belying the forecast of heavy snow and windy conditions. Nor have I seen any signs of snowdrops, the tiny white flowers that are one of our earliest signs of spring. The pups come in from outside carrying a topcoat of snow, Magenta’s black fur covered in white. Baseball is coming. Already I’ve watched a couple of spring training games. The sun shines brightly in Florida where the Yankees and Mets prepare for the season. But here the gloom continues. GAH!

Even though we’ve had a relatively easy winter with little snow and only one real cold snap (-25 windchill…BRR!), spring feels long overdue. I used to will my way through February, the thought being that if I could just make it to March, spring would arrive. Until I realized that winter had no intention of going anywhere until much later in the month and maybe not even then. More than once we’ve had late “winter” storms of several inches of snow in April.

At the end of the month we’re taking a couple of days to get away to our favorite B&B. It’s not far from here, a cozy log cabin nestled in the woods, with an old-fashioned fireplace in the living room and a hot tub just out back. It’s so quiet and restful and, even though we’re retired, a restful few days are always welcome. And I hope that by then the crocus will be in bloom, the spring dogwood and rare red trillium dotting the woods behind the cabin. I hope the roads are clear, the days warm, and the evenings just chilly enough to warrant a dip in the hot tub followed by a warm fire.