Mother Nature played tricks on us already this year. She let us mow the yard once or maybe even twice in March, and then threw sleet and snow at us in the first week of April.

Perhaps Mother Nature finally got winter, or the winter she didn’t get to have, out of her system. Here are five signs spring might be here to stay, taken through our camera lens.

1. Darci Zolman doesn’t need a heavy winter coat anymore.

A HOOSIER STREAM IN SPRING: Budding trees are reflected in this stream. While tranquil here, fields nearby were busy with tilling, planting and spray applications.

A sweater may still feel good some days, though. Zolman and her husband, Don, operate Zolman Farms in Pierceton. She also has worked for the Kosciusko County Soil and Water Conservation District for nearly 30 years. On days like Mother Nature is delivering now, she can actually do outdoor education with elementary students outdoors. What a concept!

2. Even the weeds are pretty for a while.

Dandelions may have come and gone in your area, but odds are you can still find them in parts of the state. This patch in a field that will be no-tilled to soybeans hadn’t been sprayed with burndown yet. Bill Johnson of Purdue University says to go after the weeds hard. If there are too many of these weeds and they turn the field yellow, he would recommend going to corn for another year because more weapons then are available to fight the weeds, especially if some Canada thistles are along for the ride.

3. Thunderstorms lurk just over the horizon.

Fifteen minutes after this picture was snapped, a good old-fashioned Indiana goose-drowning rain cut loose. The farmer didn’t quite get finished that day. But with this superwide planter, it didn’t take him long once it dried out.

4. Green hills, and yes, there are cows there.

Look closely and you can see the black calves edging out of the wooded area. It was a warm spring day at the farm operated by the ag department at Hagerstown High School. The calves were enjoying hiding in the trees. Eventually, they would become lunch for students at the school. Through the innovative project, the cattle are butchered and served in the cafeteria.

5. A red barn makes any picture prettier.

A gorgeous day in early May and an older barn that has been restored always make a good combination. Bill Field, the Purdue University farm safety legend, owns this barn. He and his son, Will, did a lot of the restoration work. It is located near Rossville in Tippecanoe County.