In these final days of January, it seems that spring is almost ready to, well, spring. The puddle on the tarpaulin that covers the round table on our terrace during the winter months is shrinking rapidly, and with each passing day, there is less reason to keep the rocks that weigh it down in place. True, the last couple of months have been awful: unreasonable (and atypical) amounts of rain, very high winds, and only occasional sunny days, but things seem to be improving now. Pretty soon, we should be able to roll up the tarpaulin and banish it to the cellar until the end of the fall; for several months, the terrace will become our favorite dining room again. We’re ready!