Spring Is Here, Sorta

Spring has arrived in the Ohio Valley.  I know that spring doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, but I think it's already here.  The week started off on a wintry note when we awoke Monday morning to two inches of snow.  It was one of the prettiest snows that I've seen.  The prettiest part was the fact that there wasn't any snow on the streets and driveways. And it was all gone before lunchtime, too.  Once the snow was out of here, things started to warm up, and we actually saw the sun.  It's warmed up this week, and the temperatures have soared into the 60's.  Yep, spring is here.

There's a couple of ways you can tell spring is here besides looking at the thermometer.  First of all, just look at the bustops on your way to work in the morning.  The big down-filled parkas are gone and have been replaced by thinner nylon jackets.  You still see some ski caps, but then again, some of the grunge kids wear those in the summer.  Another way you can tell spring is here is to go outside and just listen - the birds are chirping.  Even at 4:00 in the morning, the birds are chirping.

We were roused from our slumber in the wee hours Wednesday morning by the sounds of sirens and commotion down the street when a semi misjudged his distance and tore down some utility wires.  Thursday morning was our weekly wake-up call from the Rumpke man (although I will give him credit - he is MUCH quieter than he was before, but we can still hear him nonetheless).  Friday morning, the birds were chirping right outside my bedroom window at 4:00 a.m. As loud as they sounded, I'm guessing they were the size of an emu.  I know I shouldn't complain because the birds chirping are a sign of spring, but do they have to chirp at 4:00 in the morning?  The female birds are pregnant right now - shouldn't they be sleeping and getting their rest?