Spring

Today is the Vernal Equinox - the first official day of Spring.

No offense to my buddy Punxatawny Phil, but Spring has been fully sprung 'round these parts for weeks now.

The recent beautiful blossoms of white and pink and mauve that exploded onto all of the fruit trees a few weeks ago are now giving way to green buds. At our old house, the tulips and daffodils are standing at attention like bright yellow and red soldiers saluting the sun. Here at our new house, the rose bushes are just starting to show hints of buds and our vegetable garden is going like gangbusters. In the foothills nearby, the wildflowers are taking over the fields and "painting the world" as my four-year-old describes it.

And, just in case there was any doubt, allergies are bustin' out all over, too. :)

Sorry, New England and Montreal and other parts nor'east. You may have the market on colorful fall foliage, but California's Central Valley dons the loveliest of spring bonnets.

Personally, I've never been fond of the winter months (except for Christmas, I love Christmas!) Being a born-n-bred California girl, I'm not much for cold weather - I get all bundly and think parts of me are gonna fall off when the thermostat drops below 65.

That means I spend a lot of time indoors in the winter.

So, to me, Spring feels like parole.

It's like someone has opened a window to give me a glimpse of the warmth and light and outings soon to come. Even the air - which I know is more polluted than ever - feels cleaner and brighter after a Spring rain. And the mountains to the east and west look so much more inviting when they are not topped with quite so much white stuff.

Spring means longer days and more sunlight. It means blue skies and colorful flowers and nesting birds. It means picnics and parks and hikes. It means it will soon be time for camping trips to the mountains, weekends at the beach, or just lazy afternoons out at the pool.

Of course, the humid 110 degree days in July and August, may find me singing the praises of our temperate Autumns. :)

But, for now, I'm thrilled to welcome Spring.

(Art: "Persephone" by Blackeri)