Even on the gloomy days, things worth seeing

Try to walk and look a little every day

even when it's gray and cold.

You might think we'd once and for all get over it, yet it's always a revelation to see that there is no hard line between this year and next. Plants keep growing when they can.

We can just admire the garden from the window, but two steps out the door and we can see fresh green worth investigating.

Pansy seedlings! Probably Johnny jump-ups, which may be blooming during a February thaw. Now we know where to look for that sight, which will be so welcome then.

We might even drop an old milk crate over these volunteers to protect them from the rabbits, who may graze here before we can see any bloom.