This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

The other day when I was raking up leftover leaves in the front yard, our neighbor Richard and his dog walked by. He wondered aloud if spring would show up soon, and ever since, I've been looking for evidence of its imminent arrival. Here's what I've observed so far.

1. People have stopped wearing coats, even if it's still cold outside.

2. Customers are eating lunch on the patio at Caputo's, even if it's still cold outside.

3. I've started leaving coats (also sweaters and jackets) all over the valley. I walk out of the house wearing one, take if off as soon as it warms up and then forget where I left it.

4. Bill and Bernard's front yard is exploding with daffodils.

5. Our neighbor Caroline and I have taken to standing on our decks and talking over the back fence. In fact, I'm seeing a lot more of all of our neighbors now that the snow has melted.

6. Sometimes when I'm at work, we leave the back door open for a few minutes.

7. Liberty Park is alive with the sound of wheel music — rollerblades, bikes, scooters and strollers.

8. The high-school baseball season has begun.

9. St. Patrick's Day is this week, which means my dad will probably call the family genealogist (Uncle Wayne) to see if we're Irish yet. More than anything, my dad wants us to be Irish. We aren't — in spite of Dad's best efforts to get Uncle Wayne to change his story.

10. Grocery store aisles are stuffed full with bagged candy for Easter.

11. Which means I've embarked on my annual relentless, obsessive search for Brach's malted milk eggs. Brach's. Not Whopper. Not Leaf. Brach's. Preferably white, although colored eggs will do in a pinch.

12. Which means I've started to gain weight again — just like I always do in the spring.

13. Eating hot cross buns LIKE IT'S MY JOB doesn't help.

14. Our neighbor Johanna is out in her yard, preparing the soil for her upcoming epic tomato garden.

15. My mother is getting ready to celebrate another birthday. Somehow she always makes getting another year older look easy. (Happy birthday, Mom.)

16. Oh! It's also time for a little March madness, BABY!

17. Our cat wants to stay out all night now that it's a little warmer. He and I argue about it on the front porch every evening.

18. I don't always put my shoes on when I walk outside these days, and I remember how a colleague of my father-in-law's from his days at the University of Nebraska loved to visit Utah and feel our sweet, soft grass beneath her bare feet.

19. I'm pretty sure there are birds in Utah in the winter, right? They don't all go to Florida. But somehow I never really hear them chatter … until this time of year.

20. Speaking of birds, my friend Gigi Ballif called and wants to know if we should go to the Great Salt Lake Bird Festival in May again.

21. The answer is yes, of course.

22. I look out of a window in the evening and realize (with a start!) that it's still light.

23. But ugh! Daylight Saving Time is the worst!

24. Forsythia bushes with their showy yello4w blossoms are taking center stage right now. Other flowering shrubs are waiting in the wings for their star turns.

25. Also. It's supposed to snow again this week, because you know. Utah.

Yup. All the signs are there. I'm pretty sure spring is on its way.

Ann Cannon can be reached at acannon@sltrib.com or facebook.com/anncannontrib.