The Waiting Game of Spring- Reaching Happy
The Waiting Game of Spring
Spring can feel like a waiting game…waiting for the warmer weather, waiting for the snow to melt, and waiting for our gardens to show signs of life. We tend to want to rush this season, and not let it unfold as it should. After months of rest, the earth needs time to awaken, to thaw and stretch. But, there are gifts for those who notice, there’s beauty in the greys and browns of spring. The sun is sitting higher in the sky and setting a little later each day, beautiful birdsong filling the air, sap dripping from tapped maple trees and the first wildflowers raising their sleepy heads to greet the world…little changes happening all around us.
We love taking the time to explore our backyard as the seasons change, everything seems new again without the blanket of snow. The girls visit our little stream, the ice has melted away and it gushes with life again. We also wash and tuck away the bird feeders, knowing it’s better for the birds to feast on the abundance of bugs and seed pods readily available now. They do appreciate birdhouses and bird baths though, so we make sure to have those out early in the season for them to enjoy.
The girls will take note in their nature journals of which wildflowers appear first each year. Coltsfoot is always the winner in our area, it seems. Their bright sunshiny-yellow adds so much life to the yard, and it’s always a treat to watch them close up for the night, resuming their namesake’s shape while they sleep.
Spring offers our family a sweet treat every year in the form of maple sugar. We tap the few maple trees we have on our property and keep busy checking the buckets daily. When the temps are warm during the day and still cold at night, we are blessed with lots of sap to boil down and watch thicken into delicious maple syrup and candy.
When the urge to garden hits, we keep busy by starting seeds inside where it’s warm enough for things to germinate. The windowsills are lined with tiny pots for many weeks and it’s always a treat to see the tiny seeds come to life. Our favorites to start inside are: tomatoes, basil, cucumber, ground cherries and squash.
After a long winter with limited daylight, it’s hard to be anything but grateful for this incredible season. Even if some days are grey and wet, we try to get out and explore. The girls are always eager to put on their rubber boots, don their raincoats and grab their umbrellas, if needed. Puddle jumping, rainbow chasing and earthworm rescuing will never go out of style. These two remind me to be in the moment, enjoy the journey of this season and to slow down and savor it as it unfolds. What are your favorite signs of spring?
- Sue Thompson, Reaching Happy