Winter is backing off and during this stretch of relatively warm weather, I've been getting closer to the ground and searching for signs of green. Many years of doing this have brought both cold-chilled knees and an abundance of journal entries that have become predictive tools. I may not know precisely when I'll spot botanical gold, but I have a very good notion of where the first shoots will appear and an approximation of when. Today, just in front of the Boxwood at the southwest corner of the house, I noticed a small group of tight leaves emerging from the ground. The crocuses have begun growing and, if the weather continues to cooperate, the foliage will soon be holding flower buds. Last year, when this happened on the 21st of February, the blooms-to-be buoyed our spirits and, alas, beckoned to the local deer. Before we could delight in flowers, the hungry White-tails gorged on greenery and blossom buds. We'll just have to see if history repeats itself—and which of the local vertebrates gets to savor the first crocuses.