Spring has come, the grass has riz, I wonder where the flowers is. ~Unknown
Spring arrived today.
I know. Spring isn’t official until March 20th and there might be getting measurable snow tomorrow night and Wednesday. Temperatures are going to dip into the 20’s on Wednesday, too, before popping back up to the 50’s on Friday. But spring blew in today.
The sun shone brightly this morning during the entire time that I cleaned, straightened, put away, recycled, organized tax information, baked biscotti, decluttered the basement and worked my way through all the other chores on my to-do list. The warmth steadily ate away at the snow still mounded from an unusually prolific winter. Sidewalks and streets ran with snow melt, the sounds of drips came from roofs. Matted leaves, those leaves that always end up my yard from somewhere else, no matter how well I rake, were exposed as their snow covering retreated. As tempting as it is to try to move them, I know it’s still too wet. The grass, mostly shaggy brown, hides tender shoots of green. I haven’t spotted any plants sprouting yet, but I know they’re down there, biding their time until whatever temperature is set internally is reached and the energy that causes growth is released.
As the sun streamed through windows waiting for a spring cleaning wash, I took the step that let me know irrevocably spring has arrived.
I opened the door to the deck.
The air that flowed in wasn’t winter’s cold, heavy air, charging in, taking over the house at the speed of a Marine invasion, but the soft, dancing spring air, cool but with just enough warmth to cajole me into leaving the door open. Not enough coolness to cause the heater to kick in, but just enough to start my blood dancing with the crazy joy of spring. Even though cold and possible snow are in the forecast, that blood has started the dance that isn’t going to stop until the daffodils are up, the grass shows more green than brown, the leaves have been packed away into garbage bags and the winter coats are cleaned and in the closet until next year.
Spring arrived today. O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! I chortled in my joy. (With apologies to Lewis Carroll.)
This, that and the other thing 