> We've had a couple of nice days between rains. In the 60's yesterday and today. My Vespa had it's new permanent "antique vehicle" license tag on it so I had to go out and see how it worked. Well, it didn't work any better or worse than the old tag, but I had fun riding. I go to the first scooter meet of the year in about 3 weeks and I need to put a few miles on those new piston rings before that.
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> While I was out, I noticed that the crocus are blooming in the yards up and down the street and some of the flowering trees and shrubs are showing signs of budding out. There are a few people on this street who still raise a garden and theirs looked as bleak as mine. It's best to have them turned in the fall, but nobody seem to get around to it any more. The old guy who has been turning mine for years has had heart surgery, so I'll probably just work it up with the tiller.
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> Grandson Chris was out on his bike and noticed wrens looking for places to build a nest. One pair builds one in or on my garage every spring.
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> So the signs are here. When you see crocus, buds on the shrubs, motorscooters and wrens, and gardeners begin thinking of working up the soil, spring is not very far away. I think I'm ready.
> Howard

One of my favorite sightings ever is the first crocus poking its head out of the snow every year.