Spring Has Sprung

by Laura DiSilverio

It's March 21, the official first day of spring. For a change, it actually feels and looks like spring--even summer--here in Colorado Springs. The temps have been in the 70s for a week, even touching 81 a couple of days ago. Skies are blue, winds are gentle and allergens abound. Ka-choo. I have entered upon my spring ritual of buying up all the Benadryl and Sudafed at my local drug store to supplement the daily Zyrtec I take year-round. Notwithstanding the fact that we'll have another snowfall or two before summer starts, I have seen enough signs of spring to feel that it's here to stay. What are the signs, you ask? In no particular order . . .

Laura's Top Ten Signs of Spring

1. Bunnies getting frisky (if you know what I mean) on my early morning walks with my dog, Marco.
2. The robins are back, and the flickers are pounding on my chimney in their attempts to attract mates. (The noise drives Marco crazy because he can't figure out what it is.)
3. Mornings are dark--I have to wait until after 6:15 to walk now--but the evenings are longer.
4. Road crews are making the streets impassable as they repair potholes dug by Old Man Winter.
5. I have a pack-a-day tissues habit. Ah-choo!
6. We turned the sprinkler on for the first time, and spent half a day and dug to China fixing broken heads and locating a pesky leak.  
7. Fish belly white legs around town as people try shorts and sandals for the first time in months.
8. I'm making plane reservations for my college daughter to come home for the summer. (Yay!)
9. Catalogs full of summer clothes and cruise line come-ons are clogging my mailbox.
10. An irresistible itch to wash every piece of fabric in the house--bedspreads, curtains, pillows, throws, etc.

 What are your infallible signs that spring is here?

Comments

[Charlaine Harris]

I shelved my shoes according to color. It was a big surprise, especially to me. I also threw away all the extra packets of ketchup, soy sauce, tartar sauce, and honey mustard that had been lingering in our do-dad drawer. My hands did this pretty much independently of myself.

[Laura DiSilverio]

Amazing what our hands can accomplish when unencumbered by our brains! :-)

[Mark]

It's actually fully you'd say that it feels like spring for you. I'm sitting here in So Cal looking at gray skies and the prediction of rain. After weather in the upper 80's for the last week and a half, we are back to winter for the next week.

A sure sign of spring? I can go for a run after work and it's light out. I love Daylight Saving Time!

[Laura DiSilverio]

Sorry about your dreary weather, Mark. I have to say I hate DST! I'd much rather it be light in the morning, when I walk the dog, than in the evening. My fave time of day is sunrise or shortly thereafter, listening to the birds, walking when it's quiet. It totally screws up my schedule when I have to wait an extra hour to get out for my morning walk.

[catriona mcpherson]

Well, it's not "having to wait till 6.15" to do anything! Rocket (aka arugula) in the garden is the first sign, swiftly followed by purple sprouting broccoli and the fruit gap between the oranges and the cherries.

(It used to be daffodils.)

[Elaine Viets]

Spring is the sneezin' season here in Florida, too. The time change (which I don't like) and hordes of drunken college students are other signs of spring in Fort Lauderdale, also known as Fort Liquordale.

[Laura DiSilverio]

Drunken college students--yay, spring!

Sounds like you've got a great garden, Catriona. I do flowers on the deck and keep up with the lawn and perennials, but I don't plant much in the way of edibles (just some herbs).

[Hank Phillippi Ryan]

My goodness, I am a day behind! I thought today was Tuesday… Oh well, I guess that is spring fever.

Charlaine, you convinced me, I am going to throw away all those little packets. It always just seems like we might need them…

Of course my sign of spring is that the ducks arrive in our backyard… But there is still ice on the pool, so they are staying away. Crossing fingers that they show up soon… Then spring will really be here.