Could it be that spring is finally here?

Is it really spring? According the calendar it is. The sun was out, the air warm with a cold breeze (depending on where you were at the time) to put a little nip into it all. Warm days and cold nights. Which is about right for spring. So why am I going around with my fingers crossed? I know I’m not the only one up here dong that.

I mean, most of the signs are out there. Trees are beginning to bud, the snow is fading away fast as the temperature rises. The daylight increases by about five minutes per day. The Nenana Ice Classic is on again. The migratory birds have yet to arrive, but I hear some bears are waking up.

And then there is baseball.

Oh my, oh my, MLB baseball is being played out on the TV. Yeah, I know it is only preseason, but I love the game. I love watching my teams play ball — those teams being the Mariners and the Red Sox. So to me, these are sure signs this is spring.

Yet this is Alaska after all, and we all know what that means.

This spring-like weather is a tad early. That little fact makes me a bit nervous, which means I’m not taking my snow tires off just yet. Chances are good winter still has an ace to play havoc just one more time with lots of snow, wind and the greatest of equalizers — ice. So I’m not going to jinx it by going to the shop to have those tires swapped out. It seems to hit the day after that happens.

Then again, I could be putting on the jinx by writing about it. Tempting fate? Hmmm, could be. The last time I wrote about the wonders of spring weather, well to put it bluntly, we got nailed by a three-day snowstorm the day it came out in print. Those results had me in hiding for a few days afterward. I had visions of people chasing me down the streets of Palmer or Wasilla, a mob bent on getting even with me for putting the bad juju on the area. Hey, I really felt pretty bad about that and all I wanted to do is hide.

The last few days have been gorgeous. No doubt about that. And it looks it won’t stop for quite sometime.

I’m loving it as I’m sure many out there share that feeling. So after writing this I will keep my fingers crossed, find a lucky rabbit foot and locate a good place to hole up in, just in case this was all one big teaser and Alaska’s real spring isn’t on until May.

You never know just what Alaska will do when it comes down to the weather, the end of winter and breakup — excuse me, I mean spring. Or is it the other way around?

And if it should go, you know, south, don’t blame me for putting the big kibosh on it all. Go out and enjoy the good times while we have them. And keep your fingers crossed.

Wasilla resident Daniel D. Grota retired from the U.S. Army after more than 21 years of service.