Those Martins

We recently passed the first calendar day of Spring but I know it’s not really Spring yet. Given Wisconsin’s weather, I have my own criteria for when Spring actually begins.

1. When we hear birdsong and see squirrels.
2. When the snow begins to melt in earnest.
3. When there is no ice left anywhere on our driveway.
4. When I can walk from the front street to the back commons area without walking through snow.
5. When we’ve had seven straight days of above freezing temperatures (defined as days where the daily low is above freezing).
6. When I can’t find any snow, anywhere in our yard.
7. When we see leaf buds on the trees

We started seeing (and hearing birds) about three weeks ago. We’ve also been seeing squirrels on our deck and in our back yard. The snow started melting about two weeks ago. We’re getting closer to Spring; we’re not there yet.