A walk after the snow melt, looking for signs of spring.
Tuesday, February 10, 2026
Its a clear morning and dawn is still rising over the eastern hills. The air feels softer and not as sharp. From amongst the branches I can hear more birdsong than before, a delightful chorus that seems to say, “spring is coming!”
By 2 pm, the sun has climbed over the building and its rays feel warm on my skin. The edges of the snow seem to be receding. Everywhere around me is the sound of water dripping as the snow slowly melts. Soon, it will all be gone. Especially since the high for today is expected to hit 60°F, which is insanely warm for February. Perhaps I should go for a walk later…
Out for a Walk – February 13, 2026
Cold first thing in the morning, with a hint of fog lingering in the distance. The sky is free of clouds, but it looks like someone has turned down the saturation too much. All the colors appear washed out and faded, almost as if there is a dirty film hanging in the atmosphere. The air quality is obviously not that great at the moment, with a moderate rating of 80. The sun is still coming up, maybe it will burn off some of this dinge.
By afternoon, it had become a nice day, so I took my Lola cat out for a walk. She loves her walks, and gets really excited and starts purring when I get her harness out. Its super cute! My neighbor is completely baffled that I can get the cat to walk on a leash. In truth, it is I who follow her around (for the most part), only intervening for safety reasons or if its time to go inside. We went down to the grassy area behind the house and I just happened to notice there were tulips coming up!
Later that day, I discovered a lone hornet had somehow gotten into the house. Where in the world did it come from?! Hornets in February? Unheard of. And of course, the cats were wanting to pounce it! Noooo! That is a bad bug for pouncing! Imagine precious toe beans swollen due to a hornet sting! THE HORROR!!! Not to worry, I caught it and put it outside. (Phew!)
Signs of Spring
Spring arrives later here than in some other regions of the world (but earlier in southern Ohio than in New England) and there are no flowers blooming yet. No glaring obvious changes, like red buds in blossom or crocuses poking up. However, if you look closely there are subtle signs to be found. Here are a few things I noticed this week:
- Still bare trees reflected in the puddles of water along the edge of the street (not ice or snow or frozen ground, but liquid water), the ground is thawing.
- Tulips are emerging, leaf tips piercing the leaf litter.
- Droplets of water suspended from forsythia buds.
- Most of the snow has melted.
- Clusters of daffodils are poking up out of the earth.
- The air isn’t as sharp anymore and 45°F feels warm(ish).
- There is more birdsong than before and the songs seem different.
- It’s raining and misty out, not snowing or sleeting.
- The cats are suddenly shedding a lot more.
- My hoya plant has clusters of buds and is preparing to bloom again!
Ready for Springtime
As of February 18th, there are 30 days until the Vernal Equinox on Friday, March 20th (in the Northern Hemisphere). If you count March 1st as the start of spring, then we are only a week and a half away. Like clockwork, I am suddenly ready, itching for warmer weather and for green to return to the land. As my mother recently said, “The countdown begins!”.
The following quote encapsulates the feeling of this late winter season beautifully:
While it is February one can taste the full joys of anticipation. Spring stands at the gate with her finger on the latch.”
– Patience Strong
