Spring is getting here

There are still snowpacks all over Tokamachi but they are dirty and quite ugly, especially since they sit upon concrete or on withered grass that last saw the light of day in December. So walking around Tokamachi has been pretty depressing for the last month or so; since it last snowed.

But things are slowly changing. The sun is shining and the weather is getting warmer, so I'm saving a lot on kerosene. My snow jacket is too warm so I'm back to wearing my denim jacket. While I was in Niigata I could see flowers starting to bloom and trees starting to bud (but I haven;t seen cherry blossoms yet). And this morning, I woke up and, over the continual noise of traffic, I could hear birds singing!

What a lovely way to start the day?