Snow melt and sonnets, it must be Springtime

The snow is starting to melt here in the city.  I am very excited for the coming of spring.  In honor of spring I found this on the internets:

Sonnet 98
BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

From you have I been absent in the spring,
When proud pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing,
That heavy Saturn laughed and leapt with him.
Yet nor the lays of birds, nor the sweet smell
Of different flowers in odour and in hue,
Could make me any summer's story tell,
Or from their proud lap pluck them where they grew:
Nor did I wonder at the lily's white,
Nor praise the deep vermilion in the rose;
They were but sweet, but figures of delight,
Drawn after you, you pattern of all those.
   Yet seemed it winter still, and you away,
   As with your shadow I with these did play.

The snow, which used to seem as if it was always growing deeper, has begun shrinking.  On the field that we cross to get to Bre's office some of the shrubs and grasses are starting to peek out of the snow.

In places where the snow was plowed it is melting quickly, allowing us to see the pavement below.  The slushy snow is difficult to walk in, but the biggest problems are the pools where the melting snow is trapped by an ice barrier that forms a mini ice-dam.  These pools are difficult to avoid and too deep for tennis shoes.

This pile of snow was by one of the main streets.  It collected lots of grit and sand from the road throughout the winter.  Now the dark grit helps it melt faster by collecting more heat from the sunlight.

Melty metly.  I am ready for it all to melt away.  Enough of the great Sapporo Ice-rink.  I want to be able to walk down the street without slipping and sliding.  Winter was nice, but spring will be twice as fun.

That's all for now,

Kyle (and Bre) in Japan