Yes, spring may have arrived today according to the calendar, but if you looked outside this morning and up to the Blueridge, you’d believe you were in a winter wonderland.

Up here on the mountain, we received about 3 inches of snow yesterday, although “down below” the snow fell but didn’t appear to stick when I drove down late in the afternoon.

While the large snowflakes gently floated down last night outside the picture window, I sat by the fire and enjoyed this last gasp of winter. In spite of a record-setting 3 feet of snow last month in one storm, it was a rather benign winter season. None of my trips were canceled or even postponed due to the poor weather, and I was able to slip away to Florida twice and soak up some sun to help get me through until spring.

Other than my affinity for skiing, I’m not really a winter person, so the fact that spring is right around the corner brings me great joy. I love the birds that spend their summer here in our yard, especially the Eastern Towhees, Brown Thrashers and the Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds. We’ve already seen some at the bird feeders and even had an unexpected overnight guest this weekend when a Phoebe flew into the basement Saturday night,  most likely attracted by the lights. We waited until daylight to release the bird, which is probably one of the many we’ve seen raised underneath our deck over the past decade.

Peppermint is the one family member who embraces the snow. She loves to run through fresh powder and had one last romp yesterday. So long winter! See you next year!