Spring at last!

Spring arrived here right on schedule today at 11:57 A.M., Central Daylight Time, and it could hardly have been a more perfect first day of spring. Bright blue sky filled with golden sunshine, temperatures in the 70s F., a gentle breeze blowing - this was the day we have looked toward for the last three months.

And on this beautiful day, I saw my very first Giant Swallowtail butterfly of the year. This wasn't it - the picture was taken last summer - but it looked just like this.

I spent much of my day out weeding in the garden and I kept encountering these little guys.

Green anoles - one of my favorite garden critters. They were out basking in the sun today.

Just like the anoles, my plants, too, are waking up.

The old azalea in my backyard is just about to be full of blooms, but this is the first.

Nearby, the redbud will soon be full of these lovely blossoms.

And, in a bed next to the patio, this pretty little allium has joined the pink bloom parade. It voluntarily seeded itself in my garden a couple of years ago. When I happened to notice it, I liked it so much that I dug it and put it in a bed, where it has flourished, just one more of Nature's many gifts to me.

It isn't only plants, butterflies, and green anoles that are feeling the pull of spring. Migrating birds have been passing through my yard this week. Yesterday, I saw my first Black-and-white Warbler and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher of the year, and as I reported earlier, the first Ruby-throated Hummingbird of the year arrived this week. Some of our winter residents are still here, too, but they are moving out day by day now.

We may still have some cool days and nights, but they won't linger. Spring is on the march and it will vanquish winter. At last!