It’s the middle of February and a quiet mid-morning is interrupted by ear-splitting sirens. The kind that go ‘up and down and around.’ Tornado warning system. Thankfully, just a test. Yep. An omen of Spring in the Ozarks! Little yellow finches have shown up on the back deck. The wild geese population is exploding; the whirring of tree trimmers competes with their obnoxious honking. And one can now observe the odd armadillo that made an unsuccessful attempt to cross the road. I’ve always pondered the question: Are they really that dumb??