The weather is superb today. There is not a cloud in the sky. It is quite warm, as well. The only nuisance is the melting snow, which drips from steep roofs everywhere one goes in central Zagreb. The first bout of winter, which started just before New Year’s, is definitely over by now. When can we expect the next bout? And how many bouts of winter can we expect this winter? The last people to ask are the meteorologists, it goes without saying. They are all over the place with their ever-wilder guesses. As has been the case the last few years, the best way to gauge the beginning of spring is to walk around the wooded areas close to the center of the Croatian capital. Collectively, plants are the best of guides as to the seasons. In fact, their vote is all that remains of weather forecasting nowadays. Judging from my walk today, the spring is some way off still. Flowers, shrubs, and trees to the rescue.