Here they are, huddled against the cold, our first flowers of the year, the stalwart little snowdrops. Yesterday, there was no sign of robins, but our dog walk this afternoon was filled with birdsong. The robins are here again: spring is on the way. The Germans have a nice word for this time of year, much nicer than our "mud season". It's Vorfrühling, which means pre-spring (the prefix "vor" meaning "prior to"). That's where we are right now.
