Spring Has Sprung.. Finally

This morning I realized that for all the griping about the weather we (humans) do, it's really our own fault.  Of course, I can only speak for myself, but apparently, others are guilty as well.  According to the calendar, it turned spring over two weeks ago. Our cold, dreary weather continued - we even had snow. This would be bad enough for spring, but we're a bit spoiled and in past years, we had teaser days in late winter that were above 50 degrees as well.

What did we do about it? We complained. We shared facebook posters about groundogs and complained some more. Did that help? Obviously not. Did ANYONE bother to send a calendar to Mother Nature this year? What about a "Welcome Spring!" card? Nothing? She had no clue. It's our own fault for not sharing the date with her.

Last week, the schools dismissed for Spring Break. What did Mother Nature do? She said, "Oh! It's spring? Dearie me, must get busy."

Suddenly, she drug the sun out from behind the winter cloud-screen. She polished it up so it'd shine brightly. The extra heat brought the tiny bright green leaves out to the edge of the branches.

Over the weekend, flowering trees went from nothing to fully blooming works of art. The grass has turned green and spring flowers are bursting into color. Forsythia bushes exploded with bright yellow buds and the birds increased their songs. In the past week, they've been flitting around gathering twigs, preparing for new nests. The increased trills and birdsongs are the songs of spring. The roads are full of cyclists and more people are out walking. It's time to get out of hibernation.

Soon my favorite, the dogwoods, will be blooming, along with tulips and lilacs. I'm already looking forward to planting flowers in the window boxes and smelling the fresh cut grass in the next month.

Of course, there's a down-side to everything, and spring is no exception. Thunderstorms, occasionally armed with tornadoes and hail, make an appearance. If it snows, it tends to go away faster. The other bad side is that some people see spring flowers and glare at the "allergy monsters" as their sinuses clog up. But while the spring elements keep some people cooped up, even they are grateful for the bright sunshine, warmer air, and longer days.

It's time to be outside if you can.  Clear out the garden, prepare the grill, and go fly a kite! Before you know it, we'll be picking out a new Derby hat, planting summer gardens, and stocking up on sunscreen. Spring has sprung. Some of us say, "Ahhhh... spring!" while others say, "Ahhhhh-choo!" but we all say, "Welcome Spring. We missed you."

PS: I strongly suggest that since we neglected to send her a calendar, that we send Mother's Day cards to Mother Nature. We really need to keep her in a good mood!