When I went out at lunchtime today (not to eat, but to go to the quilt shop to get some purples and reds for the baby quilt that decided it needed more dark in it) I left my coat in the office. I love that about spring–just walking outside and finding the air is soft and the sun is shining and I’m neither too hot nor too cold. It’s so relaxing.

The trees at the shopping village were all blooming, which is another factor in spring’s favor–flowers. The tulips and daffodils and hyacinths have already shown their faces in our yard, and the irises are poking their spiky leaves up farther each day. It won’t be long before I can stick my face in a cloud of blossoms on the tree next to the driveway and inhale their sweetness. Earlier this week I cut a pink hyacinth that had been knocked down by heavy rain and brought it into work in a little glass. It was a nice little stress-reliever to pick it up and smell that wonderful scent. After the grey and brown of winter, all this color is a treat. Yellow and white and red and pink and that striking yellow green of new leaves–inspiration is everywhere.

But one of my favorite signs of spring is something I saw at the zoo when I went on Easter weekend:

Notice the little white sign–OPEN. Ah, ice cream of the future, how I missed eating you outside in the fresh air and sunshine.