Spring Fever

52 weeks ago!

Around here, we are discontentedly waiting for spring to truly arrive. After a long, cold winter, warm sunshine and bare toes in the grass is a welcome feeling. But we're still waiting. We've had one or two decent days, but spring is dragging its feet. It's almost May, and I'm seriously contemplating moving south again. 

Maybe it's because I'm a gardening writer and am just itching to get my hands dirty with some gardening projects. (I'm in serious plant envy of gardeners in warmer zones.) Or maybe it's because I really want to get out and take some photos of the spring-flowering trees and daffodil glades at the Morton Arboretum. But it's been too cold, too windy, too overcast. Too un-spring-like. The magnolia tree in the neighbor's yard is trying desperately to flower, but isn't quite getting the job done. Last year at this time, it looked like this: 

I finally put away the snowblower last week and got the lawnmower out -- just tempting Mother Nature to dump some more snow on Illinois. (She didn't.) This week threatens some more rain and cooler-than-normal temperatures. I'll have to settle for planning the garden plantings and dreaming of warmer spring days.