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The snowdrops are peeping through the mulch and the birds are attacking the newly filled feeders today in advance of the next wave of rain.

Spring is peeking up all around our yard, a wee bit early for our West Virginia frost zone.  It's been a funky weather winter here, and the latest warm spell is just a blip on the climate change radar in these parts.  Nothing feels quite right this year thus far, and it's making me worry about how the garden will fare this summer if it's already this warm in February.

The unnaturally warm weather of late is teasing me out of my winter stupor and making me dream of spring in the form of seed catalogs and gardening books.  I fear that the daffodils that are bursting out all over are in for a rough hard frost in the not too distant future, but they are itching for warmth and sunshine as much as I am.  Don't want to get too far ahead of myself, because I know we always get another hard freeze or ten before the end of April, but this year just feels odd somehow.  And I'm feeling in a hurry these days.

The fire pit weather is calling.  So is retirement.

Just a few short months until the classroom gets packed up for good.  It feels surreal.  So I'm asking for a bit of advice from anyone out there who has some to offer.  How did you handle your first few weeks of retirement?  How did you pick your next adventure?  

Pull up a chair and let's chat a while...

PS -- in honor of Mardi Gras tomorrow, here's my tried and true recipe for slow cooker red beans and rice.  Delish!