January Ends With a Whimper

The contrast between the end of January this year and last year is remarkable -- and so I'm remarking on it. Today was so much like a random day at the end of March I sat on the deck for a few minutes around noon, wearing a jacket instead of a coat, and enjoyed it. The Sun wasn't high, but bright and warm. The wind blew, and while it was a little too cool for comfort, it was no biting winter wind.

The only thing missing, I thought, was a small patch of crocuses emerging from a spot next to the deck. They're always the first flowers, usually rising in late February or early March. And then I noticed them, peeking out today.

Wow. Could it be that winter was only about three weeks long this year? Probably not. February could still drop the hammer on us, and it would be a pretty heavy hammer.