It was officially declared spring last week, March 21st, but I think it is more a legend at present with a false sense of belief.
We endured a most brutal winter with consistent below zero temperatures and we have had our fair share of ice storms and blizzards. We also experienced two or three reprieves — false starts where the odd day in March hit over the freezing mark. For those of you who didn’t live Toronto’s cold winter, those above zero temps felt almost like summer to us here.
Those very few days were short-lived as another storm would soon blow in the next day and we were once again back to below zero.
The first day of spring was zero degrees and it snowed for the better part of the day. The five foot drifts of shoveled snow remained piled against the curbs as though they had no knowledge that spring had arrived.
With no hint of grass, snow-laden roofs remained, and not a bird was in sight. Of course the birds have known all along that it wasn’t time for their return.
This morning when I woke, I opened the curtains and was pleasantly surprised to see the sun looking back at me. When I sat down with my coffee in tow and began writing, I heard an unfamiliar sound. It was coming from my backyard, so I got up and followed the sound. It lead me to my kitchen window when I realized it was the chatter of birds. The sun was shining, the snow still blanketed over the trees and the shed; yet the birds had come.
I couldn’t help but wonder if they had an internal clock, alerting them when it was the best time to arrive back for spring; or if they were perhaps just passing by to say hello.
DGKayewriter.com 
You always have such beautiful photos on your posts. Yes, spring is taking a long time to arrive. I like what you said about the birds just passing by to say hello. I remember after my sister died, a very good friend said, watch the birds. Now, every time I see a bird on my balcony or on a tree in front of my office, I think of my sister. It’s a very nice thought. 🙂
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Thanks for the compliment Carol and for always visiting my page. 🙂 Isn’t it funny about the birds? I was told by someone decades ago that if a bird flew up to a window while looking out from it that it portended an impending death. I always remember a big black crow flying up to a window I once looked out of and landing on the sill and it wasn’t too long after that when my grandfather had died. When I wrote this post and heard the odd chirping in my backyard, I found it so odd the birds were singing, I couldn’t even see where they were hiding out in the three feet of snow covering all existence of spring, yet they were chirping away. It was later that day my step-daughter passed.
I also equate visiting loved ones with butterflies when they seem to want to hang around.
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Nature is amazing and mysterious 🙂
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It certainly is my friend. 🙂
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🙂
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Hello there dear D.G…
Well… as far as I know you guys have a very rough weather there. No surprises then when you mentioned that your “first day of spring was zero degrees and that it snowed for the better part of the day”… But when you said later that the sun arrived and that it “was looking at you” from above…I could almost say I felt its warmness… Spring is a beautiful season… Renewal, new beginnings and the scent of the flowers with little birds singing. I hope you really enjoy this time of the year. Maybe it could be well received as a prolific season for you as a writer …
Best regards and hugs, Aquileana ,)
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Thanks for your warmest thoughts Aq and sorry I only just found this comment a tad late. 🙂 xo
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I didn’t feel like Daylight Savings Time was right this year, either. Took me days to adjust–never before either.
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A very strange weather year for many of us! 🙂
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Well, I wish could sympathize…but I can’t; I live in California. There’s a reason why it’s so expensive to live here.
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Lol…or not. 🙂
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I heard so many birds on my walk today. Snow shoes put away. It’s April! I see crocus leaves, but no flowers yet. Only flowers are snowdrops, but the stream runs fast and the sun shines. Spring will come. Thank you for your photo to remind me what it was like just a few weeks ago. Makes me feel good about today.
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So welcome Elaine, thanks for reading. It has truly been the longest winter for us that we can remember. We hit sixty degrees today and only two days ago it snowed. A welcome tease. Next week we shall have the left over cold spell coming across the country and back to the temps in the thirties. Waiting for the real spring here! 🙂
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