Can you feel it?

You had to smell it. There’s no denying it.

Spring is just around the corner. It has to be. It’s mid-March. Easter is in a week. The sun doesn’t set until nearly 8 o’clock.

I know, I heard the forecast for the weekend. Some fool says the “biggest snowstorm of the winter” is headed our way and is destined to drop something like 10 inches of snow on us. Don’t try to scare me! It ain’t gonna happen.

I could be in denial. I could just be thinking positively. I will hope for the best. I will . . . . make sure the shovels are ready.

Oh, come on, forget what the weatherman says. Why can’t he just play along — it’s Spring, gosh darn it and it’s going to stay Spring! No reverting back to winter. We haven’t been below zero since . . . earlier this week. Winter’s on its way out. Isn’t it obvious?

Seasons in North Dakota are a mind-over-matter proposition. I’ve convinced myself that as long as the thermometer stays above zero, we can ignore any snow — old snow or new snow, gray snow or frozen as hard as concrete snow.

You have to get into the spirit of things. It’s Spring. The Easter Bunny will be hopping into town in a week. Somewhere tulips are anxious to pop through the soil and bloom — proof that Spring is here!

Who doesn’t enjoy jumping over puddles and sloshing through the slush this time of year? It’s tempting us to make the leap to Spring. Just the sounds of melting — drip, drip, drip, water rushing down the gutters to the street drains — are enough to make you add a skip to your step.

Just try and avoid it. Come on, I dare you.

Time to ford the stream, jump the puddle, wade right in.

Yeah, I’d recommend galoshes but why not throw caution to the wind.

The bank thermometer registered 43 degrees and the sky was blue and gloriously sunny. Snow was melting so quickly it was almost deafening. It was the sort of day that screamed SPRING!

I know I’ve looked at the calendar. There’s potentially a whole lot of winter left. So why be so optimistic, why celebrate prematurely? Simple — because the sun is shining, and there are puddles everywhere and it’s not snowing (and it better not) !!

When I stepped outside this week, the sunshine warmed my face and made me smile without even trying. I had no question spring was waiting just around the corner.

So what if the calendar says March 14 — my mind and body are operating on the premise that it’s April 14. Can’t you feel it?

It’s amazing what the power of suggestion, a healthy dose of sunshine and a couple of splashes through a water puddle will inspire.