I've noticed the grackles cavorting coquettishly, and a few of them squabbling over nesting materials. We saw our first toad of the season outside the garage yesterday. The neighborhood redbuds have accelerated into spring after our ice storm of two weeks ago, and we can see that our little transplant redbud put in last summer didn't make it (or is marching to a much different drummer!). The new pines are busy putting up meristem material. Over the weekend we barbecued some chicken in a little informal brick fireplace I built last summer, and I noticed that something had toppled a couple of bricks in their enthusiasm to lick off the grill I forgot to bring in and wash. :-D