Yep, it's just around the corner! Not that you'd know it, what with waking up to a fresh dusting of snow and all. But still, there are several tried-and-true ways for a New Englander to tell that spring is coming. To whit:
10. The permafrost snow banks in the Home Depot parking lot are a gnarly grayish-brown, and have approximately the sodium content of Progresso soup.
9. When grocery shopping yesterday, Arizona and I bought more fresh veggies than Progresso soup.
8. The horses at the rescue now require the use of shedding blades, which have enough teeth to please the biggest steampunk enthusiast, and pull off huge handfuls of winter coat.
7. I come home from the rescue coated in such hair. The laundry is not amused.
6. Our white car is gray.
5. The stores are out of salt, likely because it has all been distributed to the cars and ugly gray snow lumps at Home Depot.
4. Yesterday, everyone living in our immediate vicinity was at Home Depot at least once.
3. At least half of them bought crocus bulbs.
2. Half of them have no idea what to do with a crocus bulb.
And...
1. Lucy T. Cat has initiated the "I need to go out right now! Ugh, it's cold, let me back in! OMG, I need to go out! Aah, let me back in!" protocol, secure in the knowledge that one of these times when she goes out, the snow will be gone and the chipmunks will be out to play with her.
What are some of your signs?
So, if we need ice melter for this next storm coming, we should still go to Home Depot but with a hammer and a chisel to chip chunks off the remaining icebergs. They're salty enough, right?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, my sign is the appearance of "Chip," the chipmunk who lives under our patio. If he's sitting on the corner of the patio looking out over our backyard, er, "his" backyard, I know spring's coming. We've lived here 20 years. We've always had a Chip. I doubt it's the same one, unless it's Wise Old Chip.
I am ignoring your mention of an incoming storm. Can't hear you, la-la-la-la! Love that you have a Chip! We, too, question whether we see the same chipmunk over and over, or if there's a royal succession going on.
Delete1) My cats are shedding so much I could knit whole new cats from the fiber daily.
ReplyDelete2) I saw a bug the other day, an actual flying insect, outdoors in the wild! When this seems exciting, it must be spring in New England.
3) I keep wanting to go dig in the newly exposed dirt in my garden. Except it's still full of ice crystals. BOO!
Haaa! Love the bug thing, it's so true. Riding my mountain bike in the spring, I'm all like, "I just ate my first bug of the year!!!". The luster wears off quickly, though ... ;)
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