Spring officially starts March 20. (Vernal Equinox)

But spring starts according to the old prune picker when you can see a green cast when looking into a North Louisiana barren hardwoods forest. During winter every hint of green is gone in the hardwoods.  Then some blooms appear. Flowers, bulbs, Japanese magnolias, and Bartlett pears. But still no green cast in the hardwoods.

After the first blooms I look into the woods every day and try to see the first hint of a green cast (leaf buds).  For days I look. Well yesterday I saw it. March 11, 2013 was the start of my spring. Nine days before the official spring.

Here are some new pictures of Bartlett pears around Ruston.