March 25, 2015

It really is beginning to feel like spring around here—sort of. Most of the snow has melted, with tiny mounds remaining only where no direct sunlight hits, or where those enormous parking lot piles lurk—the ones the snowplows made. The latter may not be gone until June.

I know it’s spring time, of course, because I’ve begun seeing ants here and there scurrying about in my kitchen. Not too many of them, yet, but they’ve begun. I think it’s still too cold out for them. And me, too. It is definitely still too cold out for my liking. Spring may have arrived but it is taking it’s sweet time to manifest in warmer days. Although I got teased one day last week. The temperature neared 50. On that day, the air smelled really fresh and clean. The scent reminded me of my childhood, when “fresh air” was not such a rare commodity as it is today.

Spring is my favorite season for many reasons. The lilacs and lilies of the valley bloom in spring, infusing the air with the most amazing perfume. The trees shimmer with an aura of green as they bud, and you know it’s only a matter of time before the leaves appear. Spring is nature reawakening after the dormancy of winter. It is fresh and clean and everything is new again.

In spring, hope becomes renewed as we embrace the concept that everything and anything is possible.

It doesn’t take us long, most years, to forget about the hard, cold winter just passed. It’s best, of course, for the most part, to do just that. We know it will come again, that dark, cold and inhospitable reality called winter. But we happily put thoughts of it away until there is no choice but to face it and endure it once more.

This one just passed was a bad one, of course. Even worse than the one before it and we would not have believed that was possible. A lot of people had horrid winter driving conditions for the first time in a long time, and for some, the first time, ever. I was heartsick watching the news, and seeing how many of our neighbors to the south were hurt or killed in car accidents—many of which could have been avoided if drivers had simply slowed down.

I guess I’ll take it back. Put away thoughts of the awful winter just past, but please, remember if—or more likely when—it happens again, drive slower, and with great caution. It is absolutely impossible to maintain control of a vehicle if you’re driving too fast for the road conditions. I don’t care if you have snow tires or even chains on your car. Speed equals catastrophe in blizzard-like conditions. Consider that a natural law.

My family all made it through all right—and this year it feels like a real accomplishment. As I write this I hear birdsong, another sure sign of spring. Don’t ask me what birds they are. I know we have starlings and robins and blue jays in the area. I’ve seen cardinals and wrens and red-winged black birds and even the odd hummingbird here and there. But I would have to listen to a bunch of YouTube videos of each one of them singing to be able to tell you which ones are out there now. I’ve never been overly curious about identifying my avian choir. I’m quite happy to call them “spring birds” and leave it at that.

It’s still not full-on spring. We’ll still likely get a storm or two before we can put our mitts and boots away. But at least we are completely done with winter storms until after October. Anything that happens in the next few weeks will be a spring storm. I’m not all together certain if that should make us feel better, or not.

Buck up. One day at a time, and we’ll get to summer. Just try not to complain about the heat when you get there.

Love,
Morgan
http://www.morganashbury.com
http://www.bookstrand.com/morgan-ashbury