Waiting for Spring

I walked into downtown Silver Spring this morning on some errands.  Night had been cold - down to 12 degrees - but the sun was out and it was getting warmer - heading into the 40s by the afternoon.

The thick blanket of snow from Thursday's storm covered almost everything, but under some trees near the side of a building, the ground was bare.  A flock of robins foraged in the earth, tilling it up, looking for bugs or seeds to sustain them until more snow melted.

A block away, another flock worked in a holly tree that still had red berries.   And high up in tree branches overhanging the street, another group sat perched, facing east in the sun, red breasts plumped up to maximize heat retention.

The birds seem as eager for spring as we are.