3 Wonderful Things About Spring (and one scary thing)

Yes! In Connecticut, we survived another winter of storms, freezing cold, icicles, power outages, and slippery roads. Now comes our reward. I always think of spring as the real start of the year. All that burgeoning new life. The earth smells clean and fresh. There are so many things to appreciate, but here are three of my favorite sights and sounds (and one that makes me nervous)…

Those tiny red, furry blurs – At least that’s what new buds look like on the tops of trees, seen from a distance. Soon they’ll turn a light, tender green, delicate and ethereal. From there, they mature into the darker leaves that form canopies over our roads and rustle in the breeze. I try not to think about six months from now, when they’ll have lived their life span, falling to the ground in colorful, graceful arcs. But for now, we’re at the beginning, and I’m happy.

Mr. Barred Owl – I’m sure our backyard’s Barred Owl is always around, but us humans don’t hang out in the winter. (Which always make me wonder, how do these animals survive outside all year long? I guess that’s another blog post). There’s nothing lovelier than our first porch meals in May, with the wind chimes tinkling, hearing the Barred Owl’s cry that sounds like, “Who cooks for youuuuu?” We say that back to him and sometimes even get a “conversation” going.  Sometimes we catch him in mid flight, majestic and magnificent.

We’re here! – Like guests that always arrive early, the tiny purple crocuses by the back deck are the first flowering plants to show. “Let’s get this party started!” they seem to be saying, poking through the soil, eager and ready. Daffodil shoots aren’t far behind. “Don’t forget us!” Their green stems grow in a cluster in our backyard and before long, we have a bed of yellow trumpets like a royal fanfare. Peepers are also early arrivers, those little tree frogs calling for their mates, giving the sound of summer long before the real heat comes.

Oh God, not another rumble –Here’s the scary part: each morning I wake to the sound of the goldfinches building a new nest in our lilac bush outside the bedroom. Last year, I wrote about these tiny yellow birds and how the male kept seeing his own reflection in the window. Thinking it was an interloper, he unceasingly threw himself against the glass. Trouble was our terrier Libby thought he was trying to attack her. It all became a horrible, bark-filled misunderstanding. Now the goldfinches are back. Gulp.

Summer will be here soon with its orange day lilies, ruby-throated hummingbirds, white honeysuckle, and green grass. But there’s something about these first, tentative weeks of spring that get me every time.

We survived winter. And now comes our reward.

What do you like most about spring? Comments are always welcome and if you’d like to share, please do.

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