The Robin has Landed

Some say that spring has begun when the first robin is spotted, others go the scientific route insisting that the first day of spring is the vernal equinox, but, for me, yesterday heralded the actual beginning of springtime. The weather was beautifully warm, sunny, and just about perfect, except for the very strong wind, until the afternoon arrived. Then it became beautifully exciting. A cold front came barreling through the area, producing the first real severe weather of the year. Thankfully, all we received was a severe thunderstorm. Counties not too far to the south had reports of tornadoes being spotted, which kept us all on our toes and staring at the sky waiting for the clouds to begin rotating. I had a memorable experience driving through a storm last night with hail pounding on the roof of the car. It was so loud that it became practically impossible to hear the person sitting next to you yelling. The hail was only about the size of marbles so there was not too much damage, but a nearby city reported chunks of ice about the size of golfballs coming down out of the storm cloud. After yesterday evening's first storm had ended and the sun came out one last time before setting, the cumulonimbus clouds were still visible as they moved on to the east. It is amazing that something so powerful and destructive can be so beautiful! Spring has definitely arrived.