They’ve Got the Feeling

The pussy willow is blooming now—for real. Those hard-shell buds have been waiting, ready to burst, since the January thaw when several of them actually did burst.

I’ve seen snow on the pussy willow, but it never amounts to much. I’ve been watching this branch of the pussy willow all winter outside the bathroom window, and the fat, fuzzy catkins, the blue sky, the sunshine, the mild breeze, tell me spring is here.