The robins have returned. The rains have started. The flood waters have rolled up over the shores of the Ohio River and onto acre upon acre of farmland in both Indiana and Kentucky. Crocuses and tulips are determined to bloom before Easter and the trees are getting fluffy, a sure sign of buds and hope for future leaves. The stores have sprouted Easter finery in Spring colors and these have overshadowed Mardi Gras and St. Patrick's Day decorations.

It wasn't such a great winter but fortunately, memories are short-lived with much of the ice and snow placed conveniently in the distant part of our minds.

For the next few weeks the talk will be of the rain and the aforementioned flooding and when the fields around will be solid enough (and therefore drained) to hold a tractor in order to plow and plant Spring crops.

One gentleman had to be rescued last week from a river camp along the Ohio. A river camp is a thin line of huts and small mobile homes that line the Indiana side of the Ohio River. Mostly for summer fishing, the abodes are not winterized and not secure on their foundations. Law enforcement was called upon to find him by his family who had homes inland, but did not find him at his camp. Looking into other camp sites and trailers they finally found him up river. He had been moving ever upward and staying at the 'dry' sites of neighbors until the waters there rose. He then would look to find other dry ground, all of which was fast becoming inundated with flood water. He really never considered leaving the banks of the Ohio, even though the banks hadn't been seen for two weeks. Since the flooding happens every year and could have been predicted by anyone with second grade intelligence, I wonder how much tax payer money went to rescue him one more time from his stubborn fascination with flood.

But the good news is that Spring indeed is on its way and will arrive in a week or so. That makes me happy. And that's what I think about that.