Spring really is coming

If you've passed a skunk that didn't make it along side of the road, then you've witnessed one of the first signs of spring! The skunks are out looking for a cozy spot to nest. This I know because they used to choose the crawl space beneath my mother-in-law's house on an annual basis. (If this happens to you, take heart. After their kids are big enough to venture out, you'll see a lot less of them. And hopefully your home owner's insurance will pay for fumigation).

Another sure sign of spring? The toy isles at Walmart are filled with sand toys, bubble soap, and pool supplies.

The Farmer Museum's Sugaring Off Sundays (all you can eat pancakes and maple syrup + demonstrations and farm animals--$7 per adult, kids free) are yet another sign of spring, although even they had to admit that the sap is not yet running this year. We did ride the carousel several times, which is always a hit with the toddler set.

Green Hour documents some additional signs of spring--buds on the trees! The next time I step outside with the kids (for what classifies more as a 'white hour' at the moment) I'll be looking.

And let's not forget the West End's surest harbinger of spring: Dairy Queen (or should I now say Orange Julius?) is open!!! Follow developments at Twitter and Oneonta's newest web resource: OneontaOnTheMap.com .