FEB 20 -- The weather is cold in the morning but warms up by mid-afternoon. It's been dry for weeks and we really need some rain, but there is none in the forecast for the next week or so. I am eager for spring to get here. The Farmers Almanac says the last average date for a freeze in this area is April 15 -- around Easter. I've seen some daffodils and other bulbs coming up butnot quite blooming yet, and the flowering quince is budding out. I've seen forsythia blooming in town.