While the rest of the country was gripped by a polar vortex, here in California winter was over as soon as it began.

We had a few nights of frost but I dug out my flip-flops in February and got a pedicure. It seems churlish to complain about the temperatures to friends and family who were battling record-setting snowfalls.

We did have problems too.

No rain translates into water for farmers who grow the food I’ve become dependent on consuming three times a day.

The trees budded early, due to the warm temps. Who knows if we’ll get any fruit this year.

But that all seems like a worry for another day. Today I mowed. Of course, the lawn mower got a flat tire when I had one pass left to make, so our backyard has a mohawk. I weeded some of the flower beds.

It’s starting to look like spring around here. And it’s hard to be gloomy when the birds are busy building their nests and shoots are struggling through the soil toward the sun.

Come on, Spring!