We have blooming Daffodils!

Northern Illinois is edging out from the Winter Without End.

Four hours after I took the photo, many of those flowers were in full bloom. 

The standards (the green blades)  of my ever-faithful foundation planting of Irises are shooting up from between the row of bricks (used to limit the spread of the Iris rhizomes) and the hose faucet (where there is another row of limiting bricks; there is a bed of Dianthus beyond it).  The nearest bed has a row of Daffodils (planted last fall) by the wall of the house, a row of established Daylily clusters (this will be the fourth season for them) sprouting up in the center of the bed, followed by a row of Tulips breaking the surface (planted last fall).  In fact, things are now popping up all over the yard.

Despite the prediction of snow for Tuesday  Monday of next week, there is no denying our stealthy advance into springtime.  Gaia, northern Illinois is not alone in finding that you are a troublesome wench.