March 6, 2010
First Signs of Spring in Michigan
First Signs of Spring in Michigan
The last few days have been bathed in sunlight. The sky is light blue, the clouds high and white; the temperatures in mid thirties. There is still snow on the ground, mostly muddy and dirty now. Nights are cold; last night it was nineteen degrees. But the signs of spring are unmistakable and present everywhere.
The birds are delirious. Their calls, songs and chatter fill the air and wake me up in the morning. I saw a festive red cardinal and his less flamboyant mate happily sitting on the pear tree branch in the back of my house. When I took a walk yesterday afternoon, a fat little robin was pulling worms out of a thawed patch of muddy ground. The sparrows fill entire neighborhoods, and my friends complain that they are pesky invaders from overseas. But I love those crazy, restless sparrows for they remind me of my childhood in Europe.
The trees are also showing signs of life. It seems that the branches were completely smooth and bare only a week ago. But yesterday, the young maples were exploding with buds. The air is full of promise. The wind smells of warmer, more temperate places. And now, when I walk, I look all around me for new beginnings. It is almost worth going through the harsh, cold winter to be transported by this euphoria of early spring.
Gracious Living - Day by Day 