An old friend surfaced the other day, brown and the worse for wear, but was then immediately smothered in white a few short hours later. Evidently winter was not quite ready to cede ground to the lowly lawn.

But here comes a human construct to raise even the darkest spirits. At 2 a.m. this morning we leapt forward into Daylight Saving Time.

Does the drum beat of summer echo not far in the distance? Perhaps not quite yet, but already spirits seem to be lifting as the anticipation of a seasonal shift begins. New life and new light beckon, and although the mystery of what the season will bring remains, moving the clock forward can have the effect of turning the clock back on the years.