It's coming.

Today we felt something we have not felt in sometime. Warmth. After many months of cold dreary days, spring made a very brief appearance. What does spring feel like? It's when you wear a jacket and don't zip it up...even where there is snow on the ground. It's when the birds are starting to sing without knowing where they were just a week ago. It's when you start to feel that maybe, just maybe, the longer days we are starting to experience are having an impact.

One of the best signs of the weather turning is when the neighbors are standing outside talking. They are not looking around thinking, "it's freezing out here", they are coming back out because after many months of being in side their homes, cars and offices, it's like they are blooming again. It's a great feeling.

I like spring a lot; love summer even more, and only during the past few years have come to appreciate fall. I do not like winter at all. I know I live in the upper Midwest but the only reason I stay has to do with employment and I do like Chicago. But besides that, if I could live here during the "good weather"---you would not find me here during the winter months. That option has yet to become available to me, so for now I am sticking with it.

Of course there are other signs of spring. You have Spring Training, the winding down of the winter sports such as hockey and basketball---of course with the playoffs they reach deep into spring and touch summer before they are over. But the real sign spring is almost here are the longer days. When I head to the train now it is getting light---when I leave work, it is still light outside. This is a big change from only a few months ago. I am very happy the winter of 2010 is in the rear view mirror. I do know there will be more days that are cold and snowy, but they will be short lived. There is a big difference when it's November and you are looking forward in comparison when it's March and looking backward knowing the very worst is behind us. Too bad it will be back---unless I move and that is not in the cards.

The photo above was taken several years ago at the Morton Arboretum. It was during a class I took on photography and we were taking pictures in a field. Everyone was taking pictures of leaves, and flowers, and other "spring time" photos; I saw a weed and thought, "wow this is interesting." I took the picture and when we reviewed our photos, they were critiqued, the teacher said, "I saw you taking that picture and i had no idea how it was going to come out." His comments were very complimentary; why was I happy? Because the week before he tore my photos apart. I guess like the change from winter to spring, there was a new life in my photos.

Thanks for stopping by.