Aside from things sprouting and my running around like a crazed person worrying about plants there's one SURE sign Spring has sprung.

The very same Mr. Cardinal who all Winter chased away

Mrs. Cardinal from the food has NOW had a sudden change of "heart" and is feeding her cracked corn as a peace offering. We're not fooled...it's a "piece" offering...LOL.

I gauge seasons by birds that come or go in migrations during Spring & Fall. White Throated Sparrows are ready to take off for Canada after eating a ton of cracked corn and bread all winter while the first hilarious Catbird has already shown up from down South.

Currently the frantically incessant male "wing fluttering" in front of females is going on. Seeing a roasting chicken sized Blackbird engage in this behavior is hysterical.

One might think my birdies have nothing to do with gardening but they do. I plant certain things for birds to eat from in Fall. I uncovered my winter cold compost pile and saw a tiny little Black Capped Chickadee picking things from the burlap and taking it to one of the nesting boxes. I had just closed boxes back up yesterday after airing a few days after bleach solution cleaning. I have lots of Salvia and Agastache babies for Hummingbirds. The Robins are finally earning the deep bird bath I bought them last month by poking around in the Butterfly Garden for goodies to eat. Hope they read the sign that says they can have all the nasties but not earthworms and Butterfly cats once Monarchs lay eggs on the Milkweed!

I'm listening to Pachelbel's Canon in D while I type and watching the birds and squirrels eat. Got lots of planting out and transplanting to do today before rains start later.

Pachelbel's Canon and watching all the changes happening around me puts me in a reflective mood that's suffused with expectation.

In all the hustle and bustle of Winter Sowing and any other kind of crazed running we do it's so easy to forget to stop for just a minute and see what's gone before and what's ahead.

Mind you, I'm not looking forward to the running, digging, carting and all the rest that planting entails over the next couple of months, but it's the glory of seeing it come together however Mother Nature and my comparatively puny efforts make our marriage work out later in the growing season(s).

What glories to come pull us forward and make the past endurance worth it when you appreciate the beauty of it all.

That just about describes the soul of many gardeners I suppose.

Happy days and enjoy.

Leslie