Spring Ahead

I have had my fill of "winter interest" for a few months weeks now and finally, friggin finally, there were some honest to goodness signs of Spring today. Nothing that got my panties all up in a bunch, but enough to whet the whistle for the time being.
There was enough snow melt to expose the 'Red Carpet' Sedum for the first time in 2014:    

I found the first sign of an Iris:

I leapt for joy to see that the Peony I planted late last Fall survived the Winter:

Some daffodil bulbs announced their arrival:

The Allium bulbs I planted in a container and stored in the garage are emerging:


I even grabbed my canoe so I could travel through the newly formed rivers in my lawn to pay a visit to a Viburnum that is ripe with buds (suck it deer, I hid it well this year):

Now don't get me wrong, it is still the frozen tundra out there:

But thing are looking up for the first time in ages.
I even spotted a creature that is common around these parts as the temps rise:

Dude is getting bigger by the minute. And I like the hurler's form.
And it wouldn't be a relaxing weekend day at home without the girl "creating". Today she organized an elaborate basketball shootout that rewarded the victor with either a homemade "Rainbow Loom" medal:

Or the mother of all trophies:

Here's to Spring and longer days and thaws and March Madness and bulbs and the return of baseball!