A few signs of spring

Despite a brief, but nasty snow storm that complicated our travel plans on Saturday, this has not been a bad weekend. Today the sun is shining brightly, and despite the cold, some signs that spring is coming are making themselves known.

Earlier this week while walking Toby, three bluebirds flew out of our only surviving bluebird box. What an incentive to get the other ones repaired and put back up! I love bluebirds. The flash of blue you see when they fly by is unlike any other, and their song is so, so sweet.

Even more amazing is what we saw this morning while crossing the bridge over the Wabash river near our home. It was a pair of bald eagles! The large size of the birds and the male's white head made identifying the eagles unmistakable. We know there are nests in the area, and only a couple of weeks ago a friend of mine saw an eagle flying over the river about 8 miles from here. How exciting to know that some of these majestic birds have made this part of Indiana their home!

I also spied some daffodils starting to come up in front of the house. So far there are only a few green leaves, but it won't be long before there will be crocus blooming and the daffodils will follow closely behind.

These signs of spring help a lot to keep me going through the dreary winter I dread every year. My seeds arrived on Friday from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, and I finished off my wish list at Menard's today. I picked up a pack of Trinity Sweet Corn which grows to only 5' tall and will hopefully grow in the garden boxes. I also picked up a pack of Sweet Basil and some extra seed starting supplies. In a couple of weeks I'll get busy sowing seeds to start under the plant lights, and then it will really feel like the end of winter. I prefer these signs of spring to a groundhog's shadow any day!