Aren't Signs Supposed to Mean Something?

As we begin March, there are all kinds of signs that are supposed to mean something: 

1. The basketball teams are playing away, usually doing their best of the season, anticipating tournaments to come. Folks are making all kinds of predictions about who will play and how they'll do... it's all just fun at this point.
2. When I was teaching,  this is the month I used to put away the snowflakes and hearts that decorated my classroom and replace them with shamrocks and kites.
3. This afternoon, I got an e-mail about gardening from one of the local home improvement stores, one of many I've received from similar places lately. I joined their "Garden Club" at some point a few years ago. Their selling point when convincing me to share my e-mail address was that I'd get occasional coupons. They more than covered the meager discounts offered by showing me dozens of pictures of gardens and planting projects. 
4. It's Lent. If I didn't know it by the abundance of devotionals on facebook, I'd know it because of the fish specials on Fridays. 
5. I saw green leaves from jonquils-to-be poking out of the ground this morning.. even though unfortunately, poking through the snow. 
6. Daylight savings time begins soon. We "spring forward" our clocks Sunday, losing an hour.  I'll try not to complain about that as I recall feeling especially appreciative when I got the extra hour last fall.

So... all kinds of signs. What do they mean? It is SUPPOSED to mean that spring is almost here! Generally, we have been enjoying warm sunny days for weeks and have packed away winter coats by now. Even the rainy days are fairly mild! When these things come together, the basketball, shamrocks, planting diagrams, fish, jonquils, and clocks - we have SPRING!

 It really seems hard to believe that it's time to be thinking about seed starting supplies when it's freezing cold outside. But despite the snow on the ground as recently as today, the weather forecast is temperatures in the 60s by the weekend. I have no idea what follows that - I haven't had the nerve to dare wonder. But one thing I do know is that after a few warm days, we will definitely be ready for spring.

If basketball season has to wind down, the least that should happen is warm weather! All of the "leading indicators," to borrow a media term, suggests spring is here.... I sure wish someone would tell Mother Nature. She's falling down on the job!