It feels like spring out there

Snow is melting, creeks are running and plants are beginning to put out their leaf buds. Is it spring? We observe the patterns of nature and try to understand the world around us but sometimes nature fools us! We all know it's not done freezing and we can't plant our gardens for a couple more months, but how do we know? Today, we know what time of year it is by watching our calendars, but ancient native people used the position of the stars and the sun to know what time of year it was and for them it was a life and death knowledge. Plant your crops too early, and they will freeze, taking your food supply along with them. Plant too late, and it will freeze before you can harvest your crops, leading to starvation the next winter. Take time to look around you and appreciate how the plants and animals have adapted to changing seasons.