Warm-ups

Fog obscures my view of a changed world. Temperatures nearing 60 degrees on Saturday melted all the snow except for the huge piles and that in deep shade. For a brief while this weekend, it felt like spring. The smell of mud was in the air, the green of next year's columbines was visible in the garden. We opened windows and got out fall jackets. Excitement was in the air.

Sunday was still warm, but a bit cooler. Enough cooler that, in addition to the warmth, you started to notice the brown-ness. The piles of sand and black grime at the edge of the roads, the litter that has all been covered by snow for so long. And I find myself longing for the snow back. After all, we're not even half way through February; this is just a tease, anyhow.

This morning's frost on goldenrod (photo by Chris); forming what looks like spiderwebs of snow on sweet clover, and across the prairie.