I don't care what the calendar says...

..it's most definitely spring out there! It's been warm and sunny for the last week, so things are starting to sprout, including these snow crocuses in the front yard. Also spotted:  lots of daffodils, hyacinth, columbine, and daylilies. The buds are swelling on the forsythia, so I'm looking forward to that blooming before the end of the month.

The garlic is also sprouting. I wasn't sure it would work this time. I planted a few heads from last year's harvest.  So far, so good.

It's been warm, but it's also been dry. We're way below our normal precipitation so far this year. The garden soil is very dry and crumbly, rather than soaking wet and sticky like it usually is this time of year. That's not a good sign. It's also been windy--there have been several wildfires in the mountains nearby, which is very unusual for February.

I'm sure that we're not done with cold weather yet. I just hope that we get some rain, not more snow, in the coming weeks.