So conscious of the wind. Then it occurred to me that there was little to muffle the sound. No snow on the ground, and the branches are bare.

Last year at this time, we thought that spring would never come. There were ice floats in the canal, and snow piled high on every possible surface. To add insult to injury, as we turned the calendar to March, even more snow was predicted to fall.

Not so this year. There were a few storms in January and early February, but winter’s grasp has loosened. Lighter jackets rule the day. Hats, gloves, and boots remain in closets. Suspicious New Englanders that we are, we know that things could change quickly, but bikers and dog walkers among us are happy for an ice free bike path. And for the freedom to pause and take a picture of a winter cranberry bog with gloveless hands.