How Do You Know When It's Spring?

By Margaret Lyons in Miscellaneous on Mar 13, 2008 9:01PM

Are we in out-like-a-lamb territory yet? If we're not fully there, we're at least close, as today's highs in the 50s prove. Come to mama. Tomorrow will be a little chillier, but still in the 50s, and highs will be in the 40s the rest of the weekend. But that got us thinking...how do we mark when spring is really here? (We know, we know, March 20. But dates ain't nothing but a number.)

A quick poll of Chicagoistas and istos reveals we all have a few little rituals. This is how some of us know spring has sprung:

• Switching from boots to open-toed shoes
  
• Opening day
  
• When I can open windows and doors for cleaning
  
• Day drinking on the patio at Pontiac
  
• Hot coffee out; iced coffee in
  
• When I decide I can fix the zipper on my winter coat and leave it at the repair shop for a few days
  
• Turning on the air conditioning
  
• The first time the wind blows and instead of turning away from the wind and hiding you turn into it and it feels warm and amazing
  
• When I start looking forward to my life again [Ed note: Ayeee]
  
• When I sweat running for the bus
  
• The first day I don't see patches of ice anywhere
  
• Putting air in my bike tires

Your turn.