Spring, Sort of

Today is the first full day of spring. SPRING!!  Sunshine! Daffodils!  In the USofA, they have sprung forward with the clock.  Here in Germany, the "spring forward" will be on the last Sunday in March. 

So the calendar says spring, but it is still pretty cool.  Like freezing! My "spring" outfit today included a fleece pullover, a fleece shirt and a down-filled jacket, scarf, gloves, and rosy cheeks.

A few weeks ago it climbed to 60° for a couple of days and folks went wild.  But that was very short-lived and now we're back to "normal."

Patience.

We do have crocuses and the little early daffodils and snowdrops.  And of course, ramps (Bärlauch).

I am my mother's child. Offer me something for free and I'll likely take it. Foraging is a lot of fun and gets us out of the house.  Even when it's sooo cold!  So, off to the park and free food.

There are a few places nearby that are actually a bit hilly, and so it is by the river.  The trees are quite bare still, though some shrubs are starting to leaf out.  And all the green on the ground?  That's mostly Bärlauch.

It was poking up during the brief warm spell, so I thought it would be really big now, but I guess the cold kept it from growing very fast.  But it didn't take long to pick enough for several pots of pesto and soup and sauce for pasta.

Before heading back home, we took a bit more exercise and walked around the park.  Someone decorated LOL!

Gray with low clouds. It'll be a few more weeks before the sun will reliably shine.

We walked along the river and then through the woods and then back to the car while visions of hot chocolate danced in my head.

We unloaded our booty

and then drank our reward.