It's (Finally) Spring!

This week I've been able to do things that I haven't done for months:
 
   1.  Open the front door
   2.  Walk outside without wearing a coat and boots
   3.  See green things pushing out of the ground
   4.  Hear peepers
   5.  Hear birds singing

Halle- frickin'- lujah !! It is spring in New England!

Just to recap, this is the view from our kitchen door a mere six weeks ago:

But, we have moved on.  Most of the snow has melted, although there is still this patch out back.

For those of you who live where it already looks like this ( taken in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago),

you may not understand why this is making me deliriously happy.

I've been raking away the winter debris and uncovering  green shoots.   I have a strategy for raking - I start with the places I can see from inside the house - outside the kitchen windows, the view from my chair and the bedroom windows.    That way when I look out I see cleared beds and green stuff - yippee!

Little sedum rosettes.

And baby stars of Lady's Mantle.

Perennial Bachelor Buttons.

There is more raking to be done, lots more, and it sure beats shoveling snow..