The martins and the groundhog seem to be fighting in some sort of nasty power struggle.

Punxsutawney’s Phil said six more weeks of winter. But the purple martins have already begun arriving in Vidalia for the spring.

And the weatherman is nobody’s friend.

Sixty-degree temperatures last week turned to 20s with snow this week.

And here we are 10 days from the start of Spring Pilgrimage.

With snow, then rain, then five more inches of snow, more rain and maybe more snow, this winter has been a hard one for antebellum home owners doing their pre-spring cleaning.

Gardens aren’t blooming; grounds are soggy and sloshy.

It just doesn’t seem like spring quite yet.

But whether you side with the groundhog or the martins, Pilgrimage is coming and it’s important we all be ready.

Saturday, March 6 marks the first day of the five-week tourism season for Natchez, and whether you believe it or not, Pilgrimage directly affects your life.

The tax dollars that enter our community during Pilgrimage are necessary to keep policemen and firefighters on call. The money is needed to keep the roads you drive on paved. And the success of local businesses during the next few weeks may mean new jobs or layoffs.

Mother Nature isn’t making it easy this year, but it’s time to start sprucing up our yards, dusting off our smiles and promoting our city to friends and family near and far.