Goodbye Winter!

Phew, we've made it!  It seemed like a long haul getting through this winter and we haven't exactly got spring temps outside yet, but at least the worst of the minus-double-digits are over (I hope).  This winter, here in Toronto, was the tenth coldest in the past 100 years and we broke records for having more than 100 consecutive days with snow on the ground.  The advantage of having a prolonged snow cover is that it always looks pretty when you look out the window, as opposed to frozen dirt which we often have (how's that for looking on the bright side of things).

There is still lots of snow around, but I have faith that within the next few weeks it will be gone and the gardens will start to grow.

Last week was the March Break so I had the week off work.  One of the things I did was to go to the cottage for a few days with my mother.  There was tons of snow up there so we had lots of winter fun - a right and proper goodbye to winter.  

We went snow-shoeing

and out onto the frozen lake 

and we walked along the cottage road in softly falling snow. 

It was a very relaxing time at the cottage and I even got a book read.  Yay me!  Have you read anything by Andrea Barrett?  Dear husband-and-chief-book-buyer, gave me four of her books for my birthday.  Ship Fever is a book of short stories all with a historical science connection.  I thought they were terrific, being a science person myself.

I'm keeping a keen eye out for any signs of spring.  Here's my list so far:
-  the pussy willows in our backyard are beginning to bloom
- the springtails or snow fleas (tiny tiny bugs that are all over the depressions in the snow at springtime) were out on our last day at the cottage
- the days are getting longer and the sun actually feels warm now
- I've been planning our summer vacation which has entailed dreaming about Ireland (not likely due to lack of funds) and now Newfoundland.  I love planning our vacations.
- I couldn't resist making some art using the springiest colours I could find in art class last week.

Okay, winter - take the hint.  I've officially said goodbye to you, so you can disappear for another year.  In the meantime I will just have to content myself with the indoor flowers that dear husband-and-chief-gardener, has a way with.

I'm wishing you all a happy first day of spring tomorrow!