I was having some difficulty figuring out what a 'sign of spring' was here in coastal (southeastern) North Carolina. We had crickets and some mosquitos at various times throughout the winter. We had robins at various times throughout as well. I found an anole climbing up our screen door back in January. We've had dandelions for a while now. Just today, though, I think I got the first sign of spring. The first ant of the season inside the house.