First Sign of Spring

For me, the first sign of spring isn't the robin bobbing along, but the bluebirds' arrival. I saw my first bluebird yesterday on the side of the house. He stopped to check out the cottage where he and his mate took up residence last year. Hopefully, he'll choose that for his seasonal lodging again.

My daffodils and lilies are also up about six inches and the forsythia buds are swelling and getting ready to pop. It gives my heart a real lift and we certainly need that after this long snowy winter.

We got a little bit of a head start on a three and a half week driving to Texas and back. The magnolias were blooming in Texas and Arkansas when we left to come home and in Athens, Texas we saw an early bird redbud in glorious full bloom. What a welcome sight! There were also some trees with small white blossoms in bloom, Bradford Pears maybe.

The weather was cold when we arrived in Houston. We were only able to shed our jackets the last few days there. Austin was better after it stopped raining and we had a few shirtsleeve days and even a hot two-mile walk the day before we left, a prelude to summer. It raised our anticipation for our beautiful Virginia spring and summer and I have itchy garden fingers.

What's the first sign of spring you look for?