Spring

No one who has lived in Maryland very long will put away the snow shovel and de-icing chemicals at the first balmy weekend in February. Not even with the news of an equally welcome harbinger of spring -- Orioles pitchers warming up in sunny Sarasota, Fla.We have experienced too many Marches that not only came in like lions but exited that way, too. Still, it's delightful to shuck the hat, heavy gloves and extra layer of clothing, even briefly.Statistically this may not turn out to be our worst winter, but in terms of almost universal discomfort it will be hard to beat -- even if we don't get any more snow, sleet and/or freezing rain before baseball's April 4 Opening Day at Camden Yards (and some of those home-openers in early April have been known to be pretty frigid)

Spring is finally here in Baltimore, and local boutiques are filled to the brim with new clothing for this season. But when picking out new go-to pieces, it's easy to get lost in a sea of mint green, bold stripes and sequins. To get you started, we asked boutique owners about their top picks for spring — and the fashion dos and don'ts that everyone should know about. Lisa Ponzoli, owner of Babe 1716 Aliceanna St., Fells Point 410-244-5114; babeaboutique.com Favorite spring trends: "Sheer fabrics, easy bodies, florals, stripes, layering, skirts and the high-low hem are really strong.

While dealing with a left hamstring injury this spring, Orioles right-hander Jason Berken maintained a throwing program to keep his arm in shape. That was evident Sunday afternoon, when Berken made his spring debut against the Philadelphia Phillies with a scoreless inning. He threw his slider and sinker effectively, consistently hitting 92 to 94 mph with his fastball. “The biggest thing for me is I was able to keep throwing while I was rehabbing my hamstring so my arm really never fell behind in terms of throwing,” said Berken, who was 1-2 with a 5.36 ERA in 40 relief appearances last year.

The dirty gray snowdrifts have all but melted. Crocuses are starting to sprout anywhere they can. And across Baltimore, clothing shops and boutiques are trading in their winter blacks and grays and filling their displays with colors, patterns and metallics. Spring, and its fashion, is on its way. "Everyone is looking for a bright spot," says Melissa Kirby, co-owner of Shine Collective in Woodberry. And that's why she and many other area retailers are stocking at least some of their shelves with fashions inspired by the spring runway shows.

Howard County Public Schools superintendent Sydney Cousin, who is on medical leave battling lymphoma, will not return to work until after spring break in late April, a memo released Wednesday to school system employees said. The county superintendent since 2004, Cousin took an indefinite medical leave in early January. Earlier this month, school officials announced that he was battling lymphoma and would be out at least until March 1. On Wednesday, a memo to employees said that while Cousin looks forward to returning to the school system, his doctors have advised him to wait until after spring break.

Designers know that spring inspires a longing in folks for brilliant sunshine, brightly colored blossoms and other fineries of nature. Using vibrant colors and eye-catching textures, three well-known design/textile firms have created spring lines of fabrics that let you unleash the beauty of spring indoors. From throw pillows to sheets to chair coverings, the vivid colors, pretty floral patterns and delicate textures will motivate you to bring the freshness of the new season into your home.

Springtime in Baltimore brings two things dear to my heart: The beginning of the Orioles' season and the beginning of our coed spring football season. We've been playing SOBO Football for about four seasons and it's been a blast. Sobo Sports is a Baltimore-based sports and social club offering coed sports, social events and activities to members. After graduating from college, I was worried that the fun would end and that the "greatest time of my life" was over. Fortunately, I learned that fun after college was possible, and that SOBO Sports was one way to continue the fun. Jay Rendin and his staff are easy-going but efficient and they work hard to make SOBO Sports a great experience for all who participate.

Even though it feels like spring has been around for weeks, March 19 is officially the last day of winter. The first day of spring is a national holiday in Japan. In Annapolis, since the mid-1980, the first day of spring is time for the annual burning of the socks. The sock-burning ceremony, which has spread to other quaint port cities, began in Annapolis sometime in the mid-1980s. Socks, of course, simply aren't worn by the sailing crowd in nice weather. The annual ceremony will take place on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at the Eastport Yacht Club for the club's members and guests.

Maryland's pre-spring depth chart listed Joe Vellano and Keith Bowers as the Terps' starting defensive ends. Bowers, however, was ruled out of practice last month with heart palpitations. Now Vellano will join him on the sideline. “Joe Vellano is gonna be out for the spring with a foot injury,” Maryland coach Randy Edsall said in a YouTube video posted Saturday . “So that was disappointing.” Vellano, a senior from Rexford, N.Y., was a first-team All-ACC selection last fall at defensive end. He appeared in all 12 games for Maryland during the 2011 season, contributing 94 tackles (54 solo)

Two days after announcing that defensive end Joe Vellano would miss the rest of spring practice, Maryland coach Randy Edsall revealed that another veteran Terps defender is headed to the sideline. Darin Drakeford , a senior linebacker from Washington, "won't be out there now for the rest of spring," Edsall said in a YouTube video posted Monday night . "He's got some things he's got to take care of academically. " Drakeford, who missed four games last fall with an ankle injury, was Maryland's fourth-leading tackler in 2011 with 68 stops.