FINALLY SPRING, WEEK 4: This time, 2 days late, $2 short. Compared to last week, the weather is miserable -- much cooler, cloudy, windy, and with thunderstorms in the immediate forecast.

Here's the initial pond view, taken this time from around the fire pit. Nothing much has changed, except the clouds. The tulip magnolia is trying to bloom again, but mostly unsuccessfully. The trees are still not showing signs of buds.

The fire pit is showing more of the same. No buds to speak of, the ground cover is still mostly dormant although I have cut back some brush in places. We've got dead trees back there that will become more prominent as days go by and will also have to be cut down before they can fall into the road.

Looking west across our road, the view is much the same -- trees not budding yet; ground cover mostly dormant, and some more dead trees that will have to be taken down.

On the bright side, our trusty forsythia has given up its blooms entirely and has fully leafed out.

Until next week.