Tag Archives: Spring

Musings On Winter Into Spring

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The transition of winter into spring is the hardest seasonal transition for me. It’s no secret that I have learned to appreciate winter or that I truly enjoy the aspects of the season so many view as hardships.

Southern Ohio today is enjoying what I like to call Stage I Fool’s Spring. It looks nice but the air still has a bite.

From where I sit, warm light streams through the window, casting sprays of light ideal for a little black cat’s peaceful sleep. He’s luxuriating in a large sunny spot right now. The sky is blue and birds abound. Pine trees sway in a slight breeze. It looks like a beautiful, warm day.

In reality, it’s 26 degrees at this moment and less hospitable outside than here on the couch. But if you dare to go outside for a lungful of clean air, you might find that early spring bulbs are pushing through the ground. The March Peepers I so enjoy gave their first nightly chorus on Friday. These little frogs are the brave souls who are the traditional harbingers of spring year after year but their February 28 appearance seemed early. 

These things are all lovely. 

But I truly like the snow and cold and, as I muck through my muddy back yard to reach the birdfeeders, I wonder if I have seen my last snowfall for the year. There’s an old wive’s tale there will be three more snows after the forsythia blooms but those snows could be mere flurries. 

The sense that earth is beginning to warm and the days are growing longer makes me feel anxious. After all, what is to come will be miserably hot and humid. Summer in Ohio is just sticky and gross and it drags on for months. Spring here lasts for a short time as summer crowds in a little earlier than it ought to and hangs on later every year.

For those of us who sunburn and who don’t breathe well in humid conditions, this is not a time for celebration. It’s a time for planning to be outside early and late and for indoor time during midday. 

I would never survive life in the south where I know conditions are even worse. Yes, yes. I know I sound weird and pathetic but it’s a true problem that seems to worsen as I age. 

After years of being berated and bullied for my seasonal preferences by people who suffer Winter Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), it turns out I’m neither alone nor an anomaly. 

There is such a thing as Summer SAD. Just like Winter SAD, symptoms include irritability, suicidal thoughts, sadness and insomnia. 

Who knew? 

Little research has been directed to Summer SAD and tips I’ve read for how to cope are more or less useless. Yet, there’s something reassuring about knowing I’m not just a weirdo. 

It’s time to begin brainstorming and making lists of ways to tolerate (and hopefully enjoy) what’s ahead. Do you struggle with symptoms of Summer SAD? I would love to hear about your experiences and tips.

Damp

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One of nature’s greatest gifts is when clouds gather and moisture falls to the ground. Whether it’s snow or rain, it feels like a genuine miracle particularly when it has been dry. I also like when rain cools off a hot day.

All the same, I’m ready to cry uncle. Holy cow. It has rained so much lately that I’m starting to mold. Worst of all, any nice weather we have seems to come during the workday. My free time has been very, very damp.

The good news is that the flowers (and weeds) love it. The weeds are quickly taking over but I have lots of roses, peonies and daisies blooming all side any number of plants that promise to flower soon.

Spring in Ohio can be incredibly wet and unpredictable. I hate to complain because it won’t be long before summer moves in and the sun leaves the earth parched and a lack of rain makes us long for moisture.

What’s it like in your neck of the woods?

After The Storm

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We had a series of thunderstorms Wednesday night that caused flash flooding in my community. The next morning I awoke to a bright, crisp sunrise. On this morning after the storm, raindrops were collected on the leaves and flower petals of plants beaten down with relentless force. Don’t worry. These plants will recover.

The storms came in waves Wednesday, each one stronger than the one before. It was a hot 87 degree day, significantly warmer than Ohio ought to be in mid April. Before it began, strong winds blew open a shed door. After we secured the shed, the wind suddenly slowed and gave us a moment to explore new developments around my yard before large raindrops began to fall. The old dogwood had bloomed and a nearby rhododendron is now loaded with large buds.

It was almost magical when Adam and I simultaneously spotted blooms on the lilac bush. This was special because it was a start that my dad retrieved for me from an enormous lilac in my grandparents’ old yard. One of Grandma’s lilac blooms now occupies the center of my kitchen table, giving off a spectacular fragrance. 

On this morning, puddles of water reflected a radiant rising sun. Things seemed cleaner and greener. The proverbial fresh start promised each year by this season we call Spring has finally been delivered. The birds know it too and they pass the word. Through the open windows of my house on the hill, whistles and chickadee dee dees came from all around. A distant mourning dove quietly reminded me that there will be another storm to weather on another day.

In that moment, I rejoiced in the light and air and the sights, sounds and textures of Spring. She had arrived bearing gifts but her stay will be brief as the unforgivingly humid and volatile Summer will soon move in, leaving these sweet, cool mornings a mere memory. 

After waxing poetic over the beauty of my morning, I heard from Adam whose night and day had been marred by flash flooding damage. Sadly, lots of people woke up yesterday morning to flood damage and clean up projects that will keep them busy for a long time. Spring can be just as temperamental and volatile as any other season, particularly where water is concerned. 

This just goes to show that what is an inspiring fresh start for me on the ridge can be a discouraging event for those who live in the valley.

As humans, we are created equally. Unfortunately, our events and our lives are not all the same. We don’t have the same experiences and we don’t all start from the same place. That’s easy to forget but important to remember. Let’s try doing that.

Cherry Blossoms In Bloom At Ohio University

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In 1979, my alma mater was given the gift of spring by Chubu University, located in Kasugai, Japan. That school gave cherry trees to Ohio University in Athens in celebration of OU’s 175th anniversary.

They line a section of the bike path along the Hocking River and are a symbol of spring and beauty that have become an important part of the city’s tourism. A few years ago, National Geographic recognized Athens as one of the best places in the U.S. to see cherry blossoms.

They were at peak this week so we headed over for a closer look one evening. They really are beautiful but my phone pictures fail to capture the fine details of the cherry blossom, leaving me wishing I had taken my camera along for the walk. 

People walked by and admired the colors. Some took selfies while others set up chairs and blankets for picnics while they waited for lighting to go on at dusk. Children in Easter clothes and a pretty girl in a cap and gown had professional photos made while others jogged by, seemingly unaware there were even trees.

This person stood, staring up in awe, clutching a fallen blossom and smiling. I think they were my favorite of all the strangers there.

If you ever have a chance to go and like that sort of thing, I highly recommend it.  

OU was founded in 1804, just one year after Ohio became a state and is the oldest university in Ohio. If you ever see someone wearing OU green, the appropriate response is “Go Bobcats!” We aren’t fond of being mistaken for that school north. More importantly, the OU campus is gorgeous so be sure to stroll around when you visit and stop by uptown Athens for a good meal at one of their unique locally owned restaurants.

Contemplate The Beauty

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Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.

– Rachel Carson, Sense of Wonder

Welcome to Spring.

Yesterday was the official first day but I refused to celebrate it since the season didn’t actually begin until 11:06 p.m. So I decided to wait until today. There is indeed something healing in the refrains of nature and in the natural cycles that let us know there is an order of things and even the darkest of days will be ok.

Today will be 51 degrees and windy with sun and clouds here in southern Ohio. If the last few days are any indication, the bird feeders will be packed and there will be more new things to notice around the yard as Mother Nature breathes fresh left into our surroundings.

I hope to take a lunch break and to spend some time doing a small chore or two outside. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? Even if you can’t spend time outside, contemplate the beauty of this season and you’ll be better for it. 

Happy Spring, friends! 

PS: The photo above is a prolific forsythia in my parents’ yard. Isn’t it beautiful?

Brush Pile Beauty

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The transition from winter into spring is both quiet and fierce. As flowers gently push through the earth, the wind forces its way through the pines. The brilliant blue sky is accented by leisurely wbarren trees and clouds while last year’s lifeless grass seems to grow tall and green overnight.

I tend to walk around the yard more than normal, looking for clues as to how the season progresses. Yesterday I found this daffodil growing from last summer’s brush pile. 

It was likely mixed in with debris and weeds cleared from a nearby flower bed last year, mistaken for a near invasive species that I worked hard to eradicate. 

Imagine being that poor flower, uprooted from home and thrown into the trash because of a serious case of mistaken identity. 

Yet it grows. 

In fact, it reached through a tangle of debris to create a new home for itself and grow into a beautiful flower. 

It gives new and literal meaning to the phrase “bloom where you are planted.”

It’s also a gentle reminder that someone else’s poor choice to mistreat you or to toss you aside should not determine your future. Define your own future. Thrive just to spite them. Make your surroundings better because you can. 

The world will be better for it too.