March is full of mindgames and disappointment, but this weekend we had two days above 50 in a row. That melts the snow, sure, but it does other things that put you in a good mood. In the woods you can smell the trees -- the groves where there are sunny patches have a smell, earthy green, that I think is the smell of bark and maybe even rising sap. You don't smell it in the shady places. That's true other places, too. In the backyard or walking across campus you can smell dirt again. Sure, it's not like smelling flowers, but warming up earth smells alright. You realize you missed it over the winter. Your feet squish in the muddy spots. The colors are brown and blue-white. The remaining snow, and yes, there's a lot of it, is grainy and slushy. The sun is thin, but it still feels good.