The march toward spring is inevitable. Only the lingering winter weather refuses to acknowledge the facts.

On Sunday morning enough snow had melted to reveal a huge patch of purple crocuses. They hadn’t fully opened but you could tell they were purple. Then, more snow on Sunday evening. No matter, the next day the adorable purple buds were visible in the snow cover.

I took a walk in the flower garden and was pleased to see the beginnings of foxgloves, feverfew and sedum. Granted the ground is still frozen solid, but what a treat.

Wonder of wonders . . . the fig stored in the shade house is sporting some new buds. I had all but given up after the door blew off during the January blizzard. Nature is so forgiving.

I was able to dig a bit in the unheated hoop house. It is remarkable how hardy certain weeds can be. I spotted the white roots of my archenemy — wild morning glory vine. The good news, however, some Lauren’s grape opium poppies made it through the winter and are thriving. They are an annual which readily reseeds but I was surprised to see the mother plant live in our very cold February. Amazing what a single layer of 6 mil plastic can accomplish.

How odd that I can go from totally relaxed winter mode to feeling behind already. Just a tiny bit of emerging green has tremendous power over my state of being.

It must be spring. I found an ant in the silverware drawer. It’s been great to have been pest-free for a couple of months. I’m hoping this winter killed off some of the bugs that plague the vegetable beds.

In the worst of the ice build-up in my driveway and path to the hen house, I put down several buckets of woods chips to secure my footing. Everywhere I spread them has refused to melt. It is as if they were perfect insulation. I recalled how, back in the day, sawdust was used to save ice for the summer. Who knew it worked so well? Okay, they did. The iceman cometh (sorry, Eugene O’Neill).

The melting snow has exposed a multitude of sins as it were! Trash and dog duty abounds, but the worst is the cigarette butts covering the emerging daffodils at the Vineyard Haven post office. People, please, if you cannot quit at least field strip!

Once again, I failed to follow my own suggestions. (Take my advice — I’m not using it.) Every year, in the fall, I encourage folks to cut back the ornamental grasses. Here’s why: mine are now all crumbled under the weight of snow and ice or blowing all over the place. They are too wet and disgusting to even think of cutting. Maybe I will run them over with the lawn mower at some point, or cover with hay or seaweed and call it a day.

In the fall I made a note to self which I apparently misplaced. I failed to fence around my three-year-old apple trees. They are completely girdled by rabbits, and quite high up as a result of the drifting snow. I had to simply shake my head and call myself an idiot. What point is there in being angry at a bunny — so close to Easter and all?

What’s up with the electric company now named Eversource? My bill is three times what it has been every other winter. I guess it has now become an ever source of money for them.

Aside from the added expense, it’s so irritating to be at the mercy of a total monopoly, sort of like the Steamship Authority.

I’ve made a decision. I am starting some serious research on solar panels. I only run a small electric heater in the bathroom and should be able to get away with a couple of panels and keep my electric costs within reason. In my perfect world, I would be off the grid but it costs money to save money. Go figure.

By the way . . . a deal with Iran would drive oil prices even lower than they are now. No wonder Big Oil, which owns Congress, wants it to fail.