Bless Their Little Bloomin' Hearts

No whining about winter, but let's just say that today's predicted high of 70°, a temperature we haven't seen for 140 days, 5 hours, and 26 minutes (but who's counting?), is being ushered in with much hoopla and happy dancing.

The permadrift in front of the house still lives, but those oppressive mounds of snirt that have served as a reminder that we do not live in Zone 7b and that only the strong and patient survive, have finally evaporated, melted, and otherwise disappeared. 

I left here on Friday morning for the Chicago Flower and Garden Show with lots and lots of snow, and I came home to brown grass. Can we give that brown grass a big shout-out? YES! 

You'd be surprised at how quickly this greens up once it starts.

 And finally - FINALLY!! - the first blooms of the season!

One little lonely crocus braved the day and even though it's supposed to be much cooler for the rest of the week, I think her buddies will join her before too long.

You can't keep a good snowdrop down!
Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus 'Flore Pleno'

Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus 'Flore Pleno' has a
beautiful fragrance, but you have to get close to detect it.

I've got two patches of snowdrops - two different kinds - but only the double Galanthus nivalis f. pleniflorus 'Flore Pleno' have started to bloom.  The other ones, the common single Galanthus nivalis, have only managed to make it about an inch or so out of the ground. They were covered by a rather large drift of snow for most of the winter. 

 Daffodils and a few tulips are just starting to peek out of the ground, but I'm not seeing much of anything else spring-like in the way of plants. 

However, the red-winged blackbirds were spotted in great numbers over the weekend and late yesterday afternoon, the killdeer. There are insects flying around outside (mostly flies) and the maple sap is flowing fast and steady.

In a couple of the buckets of sap, several moths were getting their fill of
the sweet stuff.

If it sounds like I've got spring fever, that's because I do!  Even mud looks good to me.