Something is starting to come to life on a sunny day in January. It looks a little like pussy willows, but it’s a tree. Is it dogwood?

I’ve been seeing robins all along. They’re the tough urban robins that don’t go south. They just carry little flasks of brandy and hang out near clothes dryer vents and on top of street lights. Or maybe they steal that pink insulation from construction sites and build themselves fortified nests.