Robins and other signs

A friend said she saw a tree full of robins last weekend.  These hardy harbingers of spring have been spotted on the NCR all winter, but they are arriving in larger numbers as the days lengthen.  My local flock of turkeys were out strutting their stuff on Monday and even took to the air when my hound growled at them.  The weather is definitely springlike today with blustery winds and temps in the 50s expected.  A warm rain and a week of 50-60 degree temps is expected next week, so the farmer within is awakening.  Time to get the straw off the garlic beds and clean up the asparagus.  Cutting the raspberry canes is also on the agenda, and the list will get longer as March procedes.  Meanwhile, the veg markets are still stuck in reverse for the most part as growers and shippers try to work through what will surely go down as one of the worst winter seasons ever.  The usual suspects will be blamed, too much acreage, a slack economy, chain store policies which focus on contracts instead of open market buying, etc.  The truth is probably a combination of these factors, along with the fact of America's latest generation being unwilling to spend the time to cook the bounty available to them.  Time will tell, but while I wait for the verdict, I'm going back to the garden.