“Winter is gone…”?

Today, the 2nd of February, is Candlemas, Maria Lichtmess, or as many American friends will know, Groundhog Day!

“If Candlemas Day is clear and bright, winter will have another bite. If Candlemas Day brings cloud and rain, winter is gone and will not come again.“

Ist’s an Lichtmess hell und rein,
wird ein langer Winter sein.
Wenn es aber stürmt und schneit,
ist der Frühling nicht mehr weit.

Well, the weather proverbs always have some truth in them, and I have been convinced all winter that it would not get really cold this year. Today it is cloudy and rain/sleet is forecast for later… So now I am officially declaring the demise of winter! 😀 It may take a while for my snowdrops to open yet, and the Hellebore buds are still tightly shut, but I am sure it won’t be long until I can see pictures like this…

and this…

I just need to be patient…

😉

How is winter progressing in your part of the world? Any signs of it coming to an end?