in Thoreau’s Journal: 

I do not remember to have ever seen such a day as this in Concord.

There is no snow here (though there has been excellent sleighing at Concord since the 5th) but it is very muddy–the frost coming out of the ground as in spring with us. I went to walk in the woods with R. It was wonderfully warm & pleasant & the cockerels crowed  just as in a spring day at home–- I felt the winter breaking up in me & if I had been at home I should have tried to write poetry.