Green is beautiful

This time of year, my favorite color is green. After the long winter of white (or brown) it's such a treat to see everything starting to turn green.
We have some bushes (although I don't know what their name is) that we refer to as our "spring bushes". We use them to know whether we are done with snow for the season and if we can safely take the snowblower off the garden tractor! How you ask? Each spring, after they have leafed out we have no more snow. That doesn't mean that it won't get cold again, but it's never snowed after the leaves have come out.
In early spring when we take our walks, we start looking to see any signs of green on these bushes. As the tiny leaves start to emerge, we get more hopeful.
I'm happy to report that these leaves have opened and the snow is officially over! As you drive down the road, you'll see these bushes as a beautiful haze of green. I know that when I see that the worst is over and we're heading straight for spring.
Of course I also need to give a nod to the willow trees. They seem to be the first tree to open their leaves to the spring sunshine.
I'm sure that back in the olden days, that was one of the ways that folks knew winter was over and warmer weather was finally on its way.
All I know is that these are beautiful signs of spring!