Robins. Bo-koo robins. Battalions of robins. Robins in the trees. Robins on the roof. Robins on the power lines. Robins re-fueling at our bird/squirrel-feeders. Robins flitting around in the street. Robins splashing in the puddles left over from the two days of winter rain we’ve enjoyed around here. 

Watching our new visitors frolicking in these bird-sized swimming pools teaches me that a robin must be a well-insulated item. Even though Tampa is in the sub-tropics, we’re coming off of several cold days (as these things are measured here), and the water surely isn’t an ideal bath temp.

OK, folks on the mainland will agree that the last week of January is right early for robins to put in an appearance on the way north. But this life-time baseball fan is always glad to see them. Not only does Florida have the first robins, but we (along with Arizona) have the first baseball, preparation for which begins soon after the smoke from the Super-Bowl halftime show clears.

If the first robin is here now, can the first box score be far behind? Yahoo!