The salmonberry leaves are sprouting. Spring is no longer a dream. The great unfurling has begun. When leaves first unfurl and take their first breath, they don’t scream like newborn babies, or do they? Is the forest filled with the cries of baby leaves, crying at pitches we can’t hear? Maybe it is the crying of new leaves that wakes up the insects.

This is the time the cherry tree which blooms year round has its heavy blooms. Every month of the year, this tree has a few blossoms. At times, there are just one or two blossoms on the entire tree. For this tree, this is what full bloom looks like.

There are hundreds of millions of pet dogs around the world. Many of them spend a good time of the day alone as their people leave them to make a living, go shopping, and do what people do. What are all these dogs doing when they are alone? One thing we know they are not doing is whiling away their time on the internet. And how do we know this? Because the number on websites are not Buttbook, Instapoo, and Snappee.

If hundreds of millions of dogs around the world were online, our emails would be inundated with emails about dog butts, the best parks to pee in, and fire hydrants you just have to put on your bucket list.

Really, all dogs want to be is outdoors. I doubt dogs would fall for spending hours rubbing their noses against a monitor, clicking their way through endless web pages of dog smells. Not when there is an infinite variety of things to smell and lick outdoors.

The blue in today’s sky was Spring Blue, not Winter Blue. There’s a subtle difference. Winter Blue makes you zip your coat up tight. Spring Blue beckons you to hang your coat on a branch. Spring Blue reaches deep into the woods. It makes the flying hare smile and look up at the sky.

Even the daffodils are standing tall. There are a few flower buds just about to stick their heads above the leaves. Today is definitely more spring than winter.