Signs that spring is here

1. Buds, red and sticky-looking, on the maple trees.

2. The pear trees along the interstate are starting to bloom.

3. This morning, while finishing up some work on the computer, I heard sounds from the laundry room. Puzzled (did Y. throw a load of laundry in before heading out his morning?) I got up. They were coming from the dryer exhaust duct. Something was in there -- most likely a bird seeking to nest. The same thing happened last year, around this time of the month.

4. Ants.