This week we celebrated the vernal equinox here in the Northern Hemisphere, heralding the beginning of spring. The region experienced a bit of wind, but the day was mostly sunshine. Tuesday was even nicer. In typical Northern Colorado fashion, winter reappeared on Wednesday. We shoveled a few inches of wet snow from the sidewalks, then went back in out of the cold.

Before the latest round of weather reminded us that March is our snowiest month, I could see the barest hints of color on the tips of the trees and shrubs. I suspect I’ll watch as green pops from the buds that have been dormant during the cold months. I’ve already noticed that a few of the early bloomers are turning from brown to yellow as the nights become less frigid.

The ice is melting from the local lakes and ponds, and birds are returning from their southern migrations. This year, I noticed a different species of duck at the pond my dog walks me around. I’m not a birder, so I would fall way short of identifying them exactly, but I suspect one is a type of wood duck or mallard. The new species has a white underbelly with a black stripe running down its back from its head to its tail. They have yet to venture anywhere close to shore when I’m there. I can’t get a picture showing more than a blob floating on the water.

The other indicator of spring, of course, is the pollen that has many of us sneezing, coughing, and feeling like poo-poo. I don’t know about you, but my head either drips like a faucet or is as dry as a desert. Finding the in-between is difficult when one lives in an arid climate.

Ah well. I’ll take warmth and the allergies that come with it, for now. After all, it’s time to quit complaining about the cold, and enjoy the warming temperatures. It won’t be long before we’re ready for cooler days once more.