The last week of February brings a subtle loosening.

Doors are opened without quite meaning to. Air moves through the house for an hour or two, then retreats again as the temperature drops…

The pelargoniums are leaning hard towards the window now, pale stems stretching for what little warmth the glass allows. They know before we do. The light is shifting, even if the air remains sharp…

Late January has its own particular quiet.

The decorations are packed away and the house settles back into itself…