It took no time at all this week to almost forget the last four-plus, endless winter, Lethbridge months:

• Four-foot high snow piles in the backyard Monday were gone Saturday;
  

  Hepatica, one month later than 2017

• Four days of spring clean-up in the front and side yards revealed daffodils, tulips, hyacinths and hellebore busting through while crocus and hepatica showed their colours;
• Twigs from cherry and plum trees pruned last week started blooming inside after Marlene put them in a vase of water;
• Thursday, we spotted the season’s first, soaring, 7th Avenue South Turkey Vultures, back with other snowbirds form Arizona, although they may have perched in the neighbour’s tall blue spruces before that;
• House finches were busy building a nest or two in the side cedar; we hung two cedar birdhouses friend Dean and I built last week, one for wrens or red-breasted nuthatches and the other for, maybe, black-capped chickadees;
• 

  Basil, parsley, tomatoes

  The greenhouse is overflowing with flowers and tomatoes started from seed indoors within the last month and now transplanted, although night-time temperatures hovering just above zero inside was apparently a bit hard on the peppers, eggplant and basil. But, they survived;

• Had a beer on the front porch with friend Veryl, and a later glass of wine with Marlene. It was all we could do to withstand the sun’s heat. But, not complaining;
• Chatted with a neighbour walking her beautiful Kerry Blue Terrier. Might have to get one;
• 

  Front-yard crocus

  We watched with enthusiasm workers install a concrete median on 13th Street S. to allow for pedestrians and cyclists to pass through, but not vehicles. It’s the final phase of the 7th Avenue Bike Boulevard. Yea!

• Arranged to have crumbling front steps replaced and flagstone walkway completed, starting next week;
• Had to do a lot of stretching to get the yard-work and long-winter kinks out. But, not complaining.

If you have observations from your first full week of spring weather and want to share them on the Lethbridge and District Horticulture page, email me at richburke45@gmail.com.

Or post them as a comment on the Hort. Society Facebook page.