Signs of spring popping up in local stores

Spring is just around the corner. It is! I promise! And to give myself, and you, reason to believe that, I went looking for signs of spring. Here’s what I found: 

Undeniably, no matter what, two months from today is April 17. I’ll take April over November any day.

I visited Rona and Home Depot, and they did not disappoint. The changeover has not only begun, they are stocked and ready for spring to spring! 

Rona, for example, can give you a completely green lawn right now if you like, with their amazing turf that is similar to the turf used on football fields.

I had them roll out a couple of the oh-so-grass-like strips, approximately three feet by 21 feet, and in a flash, concrete gone, beautiful, glorious green lawn appears before my very eyes.

Not sure if that’s in the miracle zone, but in Winnipeg, mid-February, it’s gotta be close.

Thick, lush, gorgeous fake grass, that a friendly Rona rep told me is often used on decks and patio areas to give people’s pets something cushy and cooler to lie on.

There are a million applications for this stuff, which is advertised as standing up to the sun and elements extremely well, and I believe would be excellent in the beer-drinking area of your heated garage (under and in front of the couch) as an excellent retreat between wrenching or whatever you’re hobbying at.

Might even be tempting to cover a wall or two with it, so summer is always just a glance away.

Neat stuff. And way cheaper than moving to B.C.

Rona also has some new patio furniture in this year, including a swinging bucket-type chair that looks like the perfect place to settle in and enjoy a soft summer breeze.

Home Depot also has their patio furniture out, lawn mowers, a zillion plant seeds... and some great buys on snowblowers.

No doubt the seasonal changeover is in full swing at all retail outlets that go down that road each year, and it is heartening to see indeed. Go check ’em out!

In my hopeful, and somewhat optimistic, quest to find some evidence-based signs of spring, I threw an ask out to my Facebook friends for what they might have seen or experienced so far and they, too, did not disappoint.

Cynthia Horgan: "It’s getting lighter earlier. The days are getting longer and for me this is the first and best sign of spring. A few people commented on it this morning as I waited for my connecting bus. It was 7:40 and light out. It’s energizing."

Krista Lewandoski: "Had more birds singing in the yard today... longer days, warmer weather... the end is near."

Patti Kusturok: "My friend Elaine Delannoy saw two robins today!" 

Judith Toma: "Yesterday morning, driving by the Assiniboine Forest, 8:45, I saw a flock of geese flying towards the zoo. I’m not kidding!"

Alison Preston: "The sun is so much higher in the sky already. The late afternoon light falls differently through my windows, and fills the house with thoughts of spring." Thank you Alison, beautifully penned and so inspiring.

Bernice Bissson: "It’s T4 time... so spring tax season is upon us."

Ya had to go there, did ya?

Then of course, there always the inevitable cheeky response.

Dean Gunnarson: "It’s beautiful here in Las Vegas... lol." That led to a cheeky response on my behalf, a friendly war of words and threats, all ending in a bro-type virtual hug. Thanks for contributing Deano, here’s hoping a massive blizzard cools your gloating a tad. Wish it was me there gloating instead of you. Jeeeez, you even manage to "escape" winter!

Allow me to wrap with a helpful suggestion. If you’ve got any reno or building project plans awaiting spring arrival, talk to a few contractors now, get some estimates in the bag, and maybe even book them for a spring date now. That leaves you lots of time to shop for good deals on building supplies, and guarantees you won’t find yourself waiting until late August before someone has the time to take on your job.

Bottom line, the temperature is rising, and there is green at the end of the tunnel.

Got a home or project you think fits Mustard on Everything, gimme a shout!

lmustard1948@gmail.com