first flowers of spring

Over the weekend I saw the first tree in bloom this year. There is another tree that I pass on the way to work that is my guide to the end of winter, and the last two days it has been blooming. It's some kind of fruit tree I believe, and it usually blooms around February 1st, so it is right on time. The days are getting longer, and I had to wear sunglasses for the first time in a long while on the way to work today. I realize that much of the Midwest and East Coast of the US are in a major snowstorm the last few days, but the first signs of spring are here in Northern California. Of course it is still cold here, and it may continue to rain, which we need, but still, spring is on the way.