An early spring in March.

This has been a particularly weird winter. Very warm, with (most likely) a record number of days above freezing. It's been the perfect weather to break myself into a new place - to make me think I can handle the snow, cold, and ice. Nothing I'm really complaining about.

And now that March is here, spring is too. I keep hearing that it shouldn't be spring - that there should still be snow, that this weather is off. We had a day or so of spring like weather, and several days of mud. Things get muddy in March - the snow melts, and the water doesn't have anywhere to go when the ground is still frozen. But the muddiness has stopped as the ground has thawed and it is spring.

Spring does not feel or look the same as spring in California, which has really been throwing me off. First, as it's warming up it's a tad bit humid. Not very much, but yesterday it was 80 with 45% humidity. The air felt warm, which is a nice feeling after months of cold. But I'm used to cool air and warm sunshine, and everyone says the humidity is only going to get better - just wait until all that corn is green.

Here, birds actually migrate - so noticing the first robin is kind of a big deal. I saw mine two weeks ago, and now they're everywhere. Not all the migratory birds are back, but it's nice to hear chirping in the morning and notice all the new sounds around.

Bulbs have been popping up all over my yard, which is fun because I had no idea they were there. I'm curious what their flowers will look like. In a few weeks when more bulbs come up, I'm going to get to explore some flowering prairies - I'm ridiculously excited about that.

Some trees are pushing buds, but I've heard that it'll take a few more months for them to leaf out. Which, again, is another weird thing for me. It feels like spring, it sounds like spring, but it does not look like spring. Yes, the grass is green again and some buds and bulbs are pushing upwards, but the trees are bare and the tall grasses are still brown and dead. My mind cannot handle these mismatched inputs - brown grasses mean summer, and spring should have green trees.

One thing, however, that is universal to spring wherever I am is the Great Shedding of Bailey, and this has begun with full force. Bailey has a lot of fur, and it's everywhere - despite how much I brush that dog. I did get her a lyme disease vaccination in anticipation of the increased number of ticks this year due to the light winter. Ticks! She already had one a few weeks ago, and those things are gross.

Spring has sprung, and I'm anxious for it to be green. I've started to talk about spring plans with friends to see prairies, and summer plans to camp all around Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. It makes me incredibly excited for things to green up, for these days to come, for me to explore. Which means should it get gloomy again, which it will, my mind won't be able to handle it. Gloomy rains make me feel like winter is here, even though rains signal spring. Another mismatched input ... my brain needs a rewiring to understand this weather. Who knew adjusting to spring would be harder than adjusting to winter?

Speaking of weather - apparently it can be sunny one minute, raining the next, then sunny again. March is notoriously fickle, and not one day on the forecast has been correct. Play nice, March. Play nice.

Cabin on the SSE property. It's gonna be gorgeous when those trees are green.