Dear Readers,

As the weekend's warm breezes coaxed the thermometer to almost 50 F, I guess Mother Nature was just playing another trick on us.

The lovely weekend, where the sun shone so warmly, flirted with zero early Monday morning, turning snowy woods paths into a bobsled run of doom.

At dawn on Monday, as a fivesome of semi-stalwart senior citizens (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty), began their daily trudge over the Boothbay Region Land Trust's Penny Lake preserve, they found the snow packed trail had become a dangerous alley of ice, ice and more ice.

Noting that the calender says spring will arrive on Thursday, they put their heads together and spoke for most of us when they said “enough already.”

The boys were more than a bit tired of winter's chilling temperatures, although one was quick to note that it was -10 F in towns and villages located away from the coast.

Now, there are some clues that spring may actually arrive in the near future, clues like a report from a resident living on the Boothbay Harbor side of the Townsend Gut who claimed she saw ospreys and heard their distinctive call.

We checked the two Bath osprey nests over the weekend and did not see any activity, but I believe her report for she is an honorable sort, not given to hyperbole.

Another acquaintance said one of his friends was putting up blue bird houses in his field and was surprised to see a brightly feathered tenant flit into one just moments after he nailed it to the post.

Our rafter of backyard turkeys is in full gobble as the toms strut around like John Travolta's best “Tony Manero.” For the record, the hens seem to ignore all the fuss and feathers.

We have switched to daylight saving time and the sun has crept around to the north side of the hill. Her rays seem to provide some warmth, unlike the cold light of January. The Red Sox are in spring training and the some store shelves are filled with purple bunnies and candy chicks in anticipation of Easter.

I guess spring will be here someday. The National Weather Service predicts temperatures in the 40s towards the end of the week, much to the dismay of The Weather Channel folks who have feasted on high ratings all winter long as they gleefully predicted dire arctic conditions for much of the nation.

Maybe someday, the foot of snow in the front yard will disappear allowing us to once again give the cars a good washing and permit Paul Coulombe to continue his work on the golf course.

Until that time, we will just have to hang on for a week or so, or more, as we are all subject to Mother Nature's whims.

But, if truth be known, I'll bet even the oil delivery guy is getting tired of navigating our driveway.

And, at our house, like yours, while we really appreciate his efforts, we won't miss the dollar bills he leaves us tucked in the front door.

Dear Mother Nature: Uncle. Uncle. Uncle.