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I saw my first dark-eyed junco of the season in my yard today, perched in my bare lilac bush. That means he’s here for the winter, from someplace cold enough to make Central Illinois feel like a haven. Then I noticed not one, but many, robins flying about. Right now, six are gathered in my yard. If this is a track meet, the lone junco is here to hand the baton of winter to the relay flock of robins. They’ll carry it somewhere south. The lovely junco reminds me that winter is a matter of perspective.