Mother Nature has been disparaged to the hilt this season and it looks like the hits will just keep on comin’. Even the WWJ meteorologist quipped this morning that someone forgot to send Mother Nature the memo that Spring arrives today. When I stepped outside for my walk this morning it was windy, but heck … March winds are nothing new, however, a few tenacious snowflakes fell and hung onto my nose and my sleeve for dear life and finally melted – whew! The ice on the Detroit River pictured above is starting to break up and soon the ice fisherman will pack up their gear and the freighters will start ferrying their cargo back-and-forth along Michigan’s waterways. The Winter of our discontent has caused constant comments and my long-distance chums who live in warmer climes have bemoaned the weather just as much as we have. My friend, Evelyn, who resides in Richmond, Virginia marveled at their 4-5 inch snowfall, took many pictures to show me the accumulation of “the white stuff” and enjoyed 1½ snow days off from work. Cheryl, a high school buddy, who now lives in Cary, North Carolina and is a teacher, enjoyed a whopping 9 weather-related days off from school due to snowy or icy conditions; unfortunately they had many make-up days on Saturdays … groan. She e-mailed pictures of her deck glazed over with ice or tall pine trees bending over with heavy, wet snow. However, unlike our snow which has hung on interminably, their snowfall melted and departed quickly. My friend Carol, who lives near Rochester, New York had a mild Winter and kept telling me that we swapped seasons this year since this weather was the norm for them. Remind me never to move to Honeoye Falls, New York. We’ll move on and gradually the Winter of 2013-2014 will become a dim memory. Even today’s Google Doodle brightened our spirits with a touch of Spring. Hopefully you’ll find a smile on your face and a spring in your step before the sun goes down on this first day of the vernal equinox.