Signs of spring

According to the calendar, it's officially spring! Around here, there's still about a foot of snow on the ground, but it's melting fast, with temps getting up into the 40s during the day. So we can't get in the garden just yet, but there are other signs that winter is on the wane.

One of the first signs is that the hens' egg production is picking up. Last month I'd feel lucky if we got 7 eggs in a day, this week we've gotten 11 eggs twice. The hens are also showing signs that they might be feeling like going broody (which would be awesome! In all my years of chicken raising, I have yet to have a hen hatch out chicks).

Another sign, which is good for the chickens but not so exciting for the rest of us, is that the insects are back, particularly the flies. While this is an annoyance for us, it's a sign that the natural food sources for the chickens are coming back (which means a major reduction in feed costs!)

A new sign in our yard this year is the blue bags hanging in the woods - we're trying our hand at making maple syrup this year. We tapped 10 of the maples on our property, with very mixed results. One tree is giving us about a quart of sap a day, while we're barely getting a dribble from the others. I'm not sure what's going on there (more research!), but I'm thinking now that the snow is dwindling and we can actually get to more of our trees, I might tap 7 more on our northern property line.

My least favorite sign that it's spring is that the whole family cought a chest cold. It's mostly just annoying (I was the only one who was really laid out by it; the rest are just dealing with a nagging cough and never-ending sniffles), but it seems like whenever there's a major turn in the weather in the spring and fall our bodies succumb to some kind of virus to transition to our summer or winter metabolism.

But on the bright side, despite the snow, it's warm enough to hang out our sheets on the clothesline, so the sunshine and fresh air can clear away the feverish residue and leave them smelling fresh and clean. That's definitely one of my favorite things about spring!

How about you? What are sure signs of spring around your neck of the woods?