According to the 2008 calendar, March 20 marks the first day of spring, but that date applies only to those who submit to the tyranny of numbers. In a Burgh like ours, located in the cold end of the temperate zone, March often fails to provide its promised lift into light and warmth.

The true return of welcome weather comes unexpectedly and unpredictably. One fine day the temperature suddenly rises to the high 60s, igniting that ancient urge to put away the trappings of winter and let in the welcome breezes of spring. But before we can open the windows, we must first get the screens out from behind the furnace, scrub them down with bucket and hose, and let them dry in the sun.

Clean screens can not go up on dirty windows, so now we must employ spray cleaner, paper towels, old newspaper, or whatever we can muster to remove that coating of dust from one side of the glass and remnants of rain and snow from the other.

Before we can pull back and enjoy the day, however, we must first find a place to sit. We have no choice but to go to the garage and pull out the wicker chairs and plastic tables. How could they turn from white to grey after just four or five months of hibernation? So we bring out the bleach and brushes and do what it takes to make the porch furniture worthy of its name.

Once we finally sit down and look around, we begin to notice the dried leaves piling up since last autumn, the sticks blown our way by the wind, and the sundry papers and plastics left behind by the retreat of the snow on the grass. Out come the rake and shovel, the clippers and shears, as we remove the old to make way for the new.

Now we look to the house. Our clean windows and screens let in enough light to show more than we want to see of dust and cobwebs dangling from ceilings and hiding in corners. Can these walls be cleaned with a mop or vacuum, or should we just hire a painter and get the look we always wanted instead of the dirt we don't?

All winter we have walked all over our floors, ignoring the impact of shoes and boots on linoleum, ceramic or wood. Now in the warm light of spring, we can see that someone in the family will need to get down to basics with vinegar, ammonia, oil soap, or one-step (we hope) cleaners.

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With this first fine warm day comes the realization that we can't bear for another minute those scratchy woolen garments in which we've been encased for the past five months. Searching for light-weight jackets and loose fitting pants, we push our way into the back of the closet, wondering how we ever managed to stuff the stuff of so many seasons into this single confined space.

Maybe we should just pull everything out and throw it on the newly clean floor, making orderly piles: summer stuff, winter stuff, Goodwill stuff, somebody else's stuff. We pretend to be getting rid of winter for good when we take to the attic all those heavy coats and mittens and wool hats, even though we know deep down that in April or even May, winter may give us one more blast, just to keep us humble and alert.

When at last we go out on the porch or deck to drink in the sun we find we have nothing to wear. Last year's shorts can hardly button and all our tops look like remnants of the '80s. We won't even mention the trauma that lies ahead when we dare to try on last year's bathing suit.

A trip to the mall might expose us to traffic and spring rain, but probably not snow, so let us go for it, coupons in hand, hope in our hearts, searching for that new something that will complete our transformation from a winter drudge into a darling of spring.

First Published: March 15, 2008, 4:00 a.m.