Spring Crocus
The robins returned in February, signaling that spring was right around the corner. In the meantime, it continued to snow on and off and just last week we had some nighttime temps in the single digits. I’d say we’ve been gradually thawing out for the last month and it has created the usual slush we see at this time of year. It’s been wet from the break-up and the streets and sidewalks have some standing puddles. Our vehicles have gotten splashed with muddy water and are all pretty dirty after a long winter. Not a white shoe time of year if you know what I mean.
As the snow recedes, we’ve been finding things that have been invisible to us since the beginning of winter. This morning, E pointed out some doggie doo in our yard (we don’t have a dog) and once, the girls found my camera lens cap down the street on the sidewalk where I had lost it walking home from the Christmas parade. On a sad note, last week a woman walking her dog along the railroad tracks found the body of a young man who had committed suicide earlier this year.
Yesterday, winter was not on my good side. It was a cold, dreary day and I was feeling a little grungy like the weather. Although I knew spring was supposed to arrive today, I wasn’t all that convinced even though I concur with Grandpa Davey that this place knows the seasons better than a calendar.
Looking out the window this morning around 7:15, I was still skeptical. I had heard the weather forecast of mostly cloudy with a high of 55. I was not impressed. We all had some breakfast and some discourse about the arrival of spring in Montana. I was a little disappointed with its apparent delay but Grandpa Davey never wavered in his faith. Lo and behold, while I sat at the table doing some blog work, the sun began to shine. As usual, the weatherman was wrong. M & E went outside and were elated to feel how warm it was. I was starting to become convinced. A few minutes later, E came inside with a look of astonishment. She had found a tiny flower ready to bloom in our garden. I was a believer.
Soon, bright green leaves will burst forth from our Norway Maples and tulips in all colors of the rainbow will grace our gardens. The color of the season will be green! The days will get sunnier and warmer and by the end of May, it will be time to remove our studded tires and plant the vegetable garden. But, springtime in the Rockies can be quite unpredictable. We may still get snow and it could be down right chilly, so I’ll still wear my long johns for awhile and carry a jacket. But, there’s no turning back now, as shorts and flip-flops become the casual attire.
Words cannot express my utter amazement in how in sync this place is with the seasons. I realize others see seasonal changes elsewhere too, but this is so timely as to be uncanny. And it’s been this reliable since I moved here 4 years ago. As all things created by God, the seasons couldn’t be more perfect. Just when Old Man Winter has worn out his welcome, spring ushers in with all its glory. We are inspired and rejuvenated. It truly is a miracle!
©03/20/09
