The season's first

The ominously mild weather we've had here for most of the winter is predictably gone. We are all freezing our fannies off and cursing, and I am very worried about the foolhardy roses who thought to begin leafing out. That said, I got the truest sign of the beginning of the growing season: This afternoon while I was taking a few pictures of the carnage, two cops came out to pay a visit. Ahh, Miss? Umm... Don't worry about me, I smile, I'm just your gardener, taking pictures to send to a friend who knows about this sort of stuff. You know, mild winter and all, I'm worried that these roses broke dormancy too... Uh huh, yeah, ok... He's reassured, clearly had more than enough horticultural chitchat, and perhaps been forewarned that this girl comes by to work on the plants now and then. She's fine, you'll get used to her. It's just that Sarge asked us to come out, you know, the photographs, I mean, security and all, ok. He nods, looks at me one last time, and goes back into the parking lot. Forget snowdrops: for me, sceptical cops mean that it's on.