Today, For The First Time In Months, I saw...

the pond in our patio; 
the tip, none the worse for wear, of the little arbor vitae I planted in the fall; 
the lavender bushes--seemingly alive--by the stone wall; 
the patch of lemon thyme--smelling of lemon--by the back door; 
wild chamomile sprouts between the slate slabs;
shallow ponds of muddy, sky-reflecting water all over the lawn; 
a thick carpet of sunflower seed hulls and rabbit poop all around the bird feeder; 
another stratum of winter dog poop.

And, with much rejoicing, my red-crested, black-and-white Barred Rock hen, who, having ventured outdoors for the first time since December yesterday, survived the night by herself under the chicken house and lived to lay another egg.