Signs of Spring

I've lived in North Carolina for nearly 10 years now, but each year I'm still caught completely off guard by the signs of spring that pop up seemingly waaaayyyy too early to my Pennsylvania mind.  The watery eyes and sneezing of Southern allergy season is usually the first thing to alert me that winter is on its way out, but this week as the kids and I were out and about, we found lots of evidence that God is at work changing the seasons.  We decided to take pictures of our findings, scavenger-hunt style, so here's what we found:

Andi thought that this afternoon was a great time to play baseball.  It was about 66 degrees and slightly overcast, but it was a good day for it.  I'm completely sports illiterate - but doesn't baseball season begin soon??

It may be difficult to see in this picture, but those lumpy looking things at the end of each twig?  Those are buds!  We'll have leaves soon, people!

Luke and I visited the Museum of Life and Science after our Mad Hatter outing the other day, and I was amazed to find BROCCOLI growing happily beside the train car.  Already?  This farm girl wouldn't even THINK of planting such a thing yet, yet alone having stalks nearly ready to eat.  Isn't God's creation wonderful??

The butterfly gardens just outside the bug building at the museum were showing signs of life.  These daffodils are much higher than ours are at home, and the blooms were beautiful.

The hyacinths were up, too!

Our front yard is just covered in these little blue and purple flowering weeds.  This fact makes Andi VERY happy, but I'm sure her daddy will be somewhat less than thrilled.

This - is it a tree?  a bush?  I'm not sure - but this green waxy-looking plant at the edge of the yard is sporting big red buds.  I think something will be blooming here soon, too.

Andi found this pink flowering dogwood in the yard beside ours ...

and this pretty yellow bush blooming away in the yard behind ours.  Can you find the cardinal hiding in this picture??

Best of all, though, you know that spring approaches when the fabulous Farmer-Brown type across the street gets out his rototiller and prepares his garden for planting, as he did today.  He is truly an AMAZING gardener - and if he is getting ready to plant, I guess I should start making gardening plans.

Of course, in the midst of all this searching today, Luke was mysteriously absent.   When we asked him what he was doing, he said that his trucks were looking for signs of spring "under the dirt."

I guess we all look in our own places.

The next time we venture out, Andi's going to take her camera out so she can take her own pictures.  She's decided to make a book using her own pictures for every season.  I can't wait to see her finished book!

What signs of spring are you finding?