I’ve been in Vermont for well over a decade now. While the bone-chilling cold of January and February has started to feel slightly normal, March and April never fail to disappoint me. I should know better, but I can’t help looking for grass peeking through the snow and the first daffodils gently nodding toward the sun.

We probably have about two feet of snow on the ground right now, so there’s certainly no danger of grass peeking through anything anytime soon. I’m trying to keep my expectations under control. But even though I know that spring (as I define it) is a long way off, I’m starting see some good signs out there. The days are getting longer and the time is about to change. There are birds again. The temperature seems to be trending more toward 30 degrees than -5. When the sun is out, you can actually feel it. And two people have mentioned sugaring to me this week.

It is not spring. But if you really look closely, you can see that it’s coming.