It's Official!
I noticed a big difference in my environment while walking the dog at 5am. After months of hearing only the wind, the clack of bare branches and the occasional dry leaf scraping across the ground, my ears were greeted with the most welcome sound: Hundreds of frogs peeping away. Either their internal clocks or the outside temperature told them to dig out from their muddy beds and start singing.
This, to me, is the best sign of good things to come. The robins have been here for a few weeks, but they've always bumbled a bit on their timing. Those red breasted loose cannons lost all credibility with me years ago. I can't count the times I've seen this winged "harbinger of spring" come barging in to Ohio, perch itself on the nearest ice coated branch, and start yammering on about how winter's over while I'm mushing through four foot drifts to get the mail.
The frogs, however, are firmly grounded pragmatists. Our amphibian friends, being the lean & ripped fitness nuts that they are, have no external insulation and therefore can't afford to start whooping it up until it's good & warm and they're sure it's going to stay that way. These are they guys one ought to listen to in order to know when to be excited for the season of rebirth. So put your sweaters away, scrape off the grill and sharpen your tulip clippers because the frogs have spoken: Spring is here!