a welcome sign

After a sultry summer I'm always glad for the brisk air of autumn. A welcome relief. But the leaves have no sooner dropped from the trees when the bone chilling winter winds begin to blow. At first the cold is exhilirating but as time goes by I begin to yearn for the sound of bird song, the warmth of the sun on my back, and the electric green of springtime. This morning I went outside and there in the middle of a brown patch I found a crocus. That's what I've been looking for! The crocuses tell us that the ground is warming up and the daffodils and tulips are not far behind. It's time to get the tiller ready and the hoe sharpened. I'll be digging in the dirt before long.

Daffodils are sprouting next to this crocus.