Winter is almost over. Spring is coming, which means that next Saturday it's Six Nations time.
I love this time of year - everyone is so (blindly) optimistic about their chances, and I think it's pretty open this year.
But I think it's obvious that {insert your country here} are going to win it because {insert reason of choice here}.
Personally I'm gong for Ireland to win because Declan Kidney is the most dynamic, innovative coach around it could be O'Driscoll's final 6N and we have England and France at home.
Of course we have the additional factor of the Lions tour this year and the captaincy for that is the most open in years.
Here are the fixture list (and I ask you - Wales v Ireland starting at 1.30 - what are they playing at?)
Sat 2nd Feb 13:30 Wales v Ireland Millennium Stadium
Sat 2nd Feb 16:00 England v Scotland Twickenham
Sun 3rd Feb 15:00 Italy v France Stadio Olimpico
Sat 9th Feb 14:30 Scotland v Italy Murrayfield
Sat 9th Feb 17:00 France v Wales Stade de France
Sun 10th Feb 15:00 Ireland v England Aviva Stadium
Sat 23rd Feb 14:30 Italy v Wales Stadio Olimpico
Sat 23rd Feb 17:00 England v France Twickenham
Sun 24th Feb 14:00 Scotland v Ireland Murrayfield
Sat 9th Mar 14:30 Scotland v Wales Murrayfield
Sat 9th Mar 17:00 Ireland v France Aviva Stadium
Sun 10th Mar 15:00 England v Italy Twickenham
Sat 16th Mar 14:30 Italy v Ireland Stadio Olimpico
Sat 16th Mar 17:00 Wales v England Millennium Stadium
Sat 16th Mar 20:00 France v Scotland Stade de France
I would imagine that England should be favourites over France: 3 home games v two, and France have to travel to Dublin and Twickenham, and Wales and Ireland have had, let's be charitable, mixed results recently.