Is It Spring, I can’t Tell?

It’s finally here. Spring started at 6:29 AM, this morning. I guess no one told the piles of snow. They are still stubbornly refusing to melt. In fact, they’ve turned into solid slabs of ice. Silly me, I thought I could flatten the snow in my turnaround area by backing over it. Wham!

True spring weather seemed so close, just a few weeks back. I wonder if the worms made it back underground, before it froze again. Someone posted a photo of a skunk wandering about on the snow, in the middle of the day. Since skunks are nocturnal, they speculated that the snow has made it difficult for them to find food, so they are out when they should be sleeping. We may be frustrated, but it’s life or death for the animals that have already come out of hibernation.

I had to buy more bird food, but now I can’t make it to all the feeders because of the ice. But it’s spring, so the warm weather must be on the way, right? I’ve yet to see a robin, though. Probably very wise of them to stay put for awhile. Other birds are flying in and making an early morning ruckus. I wonder if they are trying to tell me the feeders need a refill?

So what would make it really seem like spring? Hard to say. We’ve had so many years of complaining that spring started too early and then flew straight into summer. Then last year we had snow on the forsythia. Do you think we’ll go from snow to 70 degree weather in 2017? It could happen.

I’m sure the garden centers are not happy with this weather. They’ll have to keep watering all those seedlings, until we’re back in the mood to plant. I foresee very crowded nurseries, once the weather does change.

I’m waiting for the faint scent of damp soil, with a hint of unfurling green. I’m looking forward to walking across the lawn and not leaving a footprint. I want to notice the fragrance of lilacs getting just a little bit stronger each day, to see my gold arborvitae recover from the shocked green it turns in prolonged chills, and to be dive bombed by the wrens that make their nest in the opening at the end of the gutter by my backdoor.

But mostly, I want to get my hands back in the soil. Will the asparagus be up by Easter? Did I wait too long to scatter the poppy seeds? Will Wilbur the groundhog bury my peony again, when he digs his way out from under the garage? They say anticipation is where the real joy can be found, but I disagree. The soul satisfaction of being outdoors, breathing in the clean, cool air and seeing life return to the garden is beyond the excitement of anticipation and it’s very close at hand. Happy 1st Day of Spring, everyone!