Has Spring Sprung?

A week ago it was snowing, but since then we have had 69mm of pure Kilchoan sunshine, of which 27mm arrived in one 24-hour period. But with the rain have come soaring temperatures, nothing like what's being experienced in the south of England, but unusual enough for here. So daytime maxima of 10C, and overnight minima of 7C haven't been uncommon, compared with -1C a week ago.

The snowdrops were out before the snow came, and since then the other spring garden flowers have been following quickly. There are daffodils in many people's gardens, but these ones were growing in a field in amongst some brambles; they'd obviously been thrown over the fence from the neighbouring garden, and taken root.

These crocuses are trying to grow in the verge of the road, where they're frequently spattered with mud from passing lorries - which, of course, is washed off quickly enough.

With the first feelings of spring, the local humans have also sprung into action. There are two building sites in operation down our road, one at the camp site where Trevor Potts is building his house, and one further down opposite Cruachan. With heavy vehicles such as this pre-mix cement lorry going up and down it, the road is rapidly falling apart.

It has been an unusually wet and mild winter, with only five light ground frosts since the beginning of the new year. But to talk of winter being already behind us would be very premature. It may well be that the coldest part is yet to come.