Spring is here, and many first's

This past week saw many firsts. We saw the first butterfly, downtown of all places! We saw the first beetle (other than a cockroach) going along his merry way somewhere. We had our first irritating mosquito in our apartment even though we live on the 4th floor! I was able to swim an entire mile without stopping.
All in all, our first Spring in north Kazakstan is going well.