Dear Folks, Speaking of Spring, according to my calendar Spring arrived yesterday. But in this morning's local newspaper, there was no mention of it which was quite unusual. Maybe it was because we still have snow on the ground, today's temperature didn't go above 30 degrees and we had a brisk wind blowing that froze our hineys off here in Western New York. Not only that but this past week we had a "bit" of a snow storm that closed schools all over Niagara and Erie counties and just about all evening public activities were cancelled because of it. In addition, the annual VERY short St. Patrick's Day parade is now being held in a local shopping mall because it generally snows on that day. But all of that is beside the point. We all know that it's officially Spring and therefore we can put winter back into the past. We may have a bit more snow flurries to come but we can certainly handle that. The most important aspect of this particular early Spring season is that when I go outside to pick up my newspaper and mail I can now hear sweet songs of the birds who have returned or who are migrating through here on their way further up north again. And on very good authority it's been reported to me that the Canada Geese have returned here for a rest period on their trip back into northern Canada and have settled into our Niagara County Alabama Swamp Nature Preserve for a breather. When I looked up at my silver maple tree this morning I could see tiny buds on it that forecast green leaves to come and I know that within a few weeks I'll hear the "peep, peep" of the frogs out in the back 40 singing their hearts out. Now that's what I call "hope springs eternal." vee