Spring...finally!

Spring seemed to get off to a slow and rather rough start this year. The weather couldn't make up its mind and we shifted from hopeful warm days back into cold, rain and sometimes more snow. I try not to let the weather dictate my moods, but I find that the older I get, the more difficult that can be. I think my late grandfather's hatred of the cold weather is being passed on to me! Maybe it's just that I don't embrace the cold weather of Winter in ways that I used to - skiing being but one of those ways. At any rate, I think I'd be fine with the weather doing one thing or the other. If it were to stay cold, then I could at least roll with that and chime in when someone said they couldn't wait for warmer days of Spring.

I love how the tiny bursts of Spring start to appear. The tulip bulbs by my mailbox spend the Fall and Winter months looking sad, trampled and pathetic. I always notice that and think back to when they appear in the Spring growing tall and rapidly with beautiful bursts of red and yellow. Of course they never stay long, but I always feel like they stay just long enough to let me appreciate them. They never overstay their welcome and they never leave too early. Love it.  In the Fall and Winter, I look at where they were blooming and standing tall and it never looks like they'll return in the Spring - but they always do. I find that very optimistic.

Then there's the two bushes right outside my door that bloom these light purple tissue-paper looking flowers - but again, not for very long. Those bushes look pretty miserable in the Winter months too. My dog lifts his leg and pees on them sometimes and when he does that I always try to stop him because I worry that if he does that too many times, the flowers won't come in the Spring. They always do - and it always makes me glad. They're out there in full bloom as I'm typing this - they look incredible this year!

I'm not up on my flowers - I know very few types by their names. I really just know I like noticing them and appreciating them for adding a burst of colorful visual effects. Maybe it's time I bought a field guide and started learning some names of more flowers...ya think?

Another thing that I love to see in the Spring, is how the green starts to appear on the trees so gradually. I love looking around at the trees when I'm driving to work and seeing the little green buds appearing scattered along the way - it always makes me feel good because I know what's coming.

I always feel philosophical and hopeful when Spring comes. It's like life itself waking up in a great mood in the morning. Yup. Springtime to me feels like life's morning on a day that is much larger than a mere 24 hours. Happy Spring  everyone!