Spring is not far away

Faintly, as I sit inside in the morning's first light, I hear birds singing cheerfully outside. I am reminded that the vernal equinox is just 27 days away. Spring arrives six days before Easter this year. The birds are offering an overture before the symphony begins

The winter thus far has delivered some days so cold our bones felt brittle and some biting winds that turned mild days frigid. Some snow and ice came, but not so much this year as to challenge comparisons in our memory. 

Late February is not assurance that winter is over. Snowstorms have buried us in Marches past and can do it again. But crocuses and daffodils are bravely poking their colorful heads into the chilly air, promising warmer days ahead. In this somber season of Lent, there is the promise of spring and Easter.

The sun will cross the celestial equator, and warmth will bathe our portion of Earth's sphere once again. The warmth we have pursued these past few months will blanket us and sap our energy, and we will long for a cooling breeze and the thrill of autumn colors.