Spring

Winter breaks and spring begins peeking its head out. Little by little at first. There is that time at the end of winter, before spring really starts, when it's hard to tell what season it is. It's not really winter, it's not really spring. That time is this great time of anticipation for me. I check the tree branches every day for the reddish buds that precede the green leaf buds. I check out the trees on my drive to work, and anywhere else I might travel during that time. I look at the bare flower beds. I check for tiny little green stuff poking through the dirt. The first time it gets warm, not chilly anymore, but warm, I know that the next few days will bring growing things and that always makes me feel good. One of my all time favorite things to see are the Crocuses and early Tulips coming out. I love the color, I love that they look like they are getting out of bed after sleeping all winter. Brushing the dirt off themselves and standing up tall. Then the leaves bud and all the branches take on a green hue. They leave fully only after some good rain and a few nice sunny days. I love spring rain because I always know that the flowers are going to bloom and the trees are going to blossom and fill out with their leaves. I truly love watching everything grow back after sleeping through the Autumn and Winter. And even though Cardinals are all season birds, for me, they are my harbingers of Spring. I always see a pair just before spring really breaks. Ever since I was living at home. I see them, their bright red feathers standing out against the dark brown tree branches, and they are gathering new nesting supplies so they can make some new Cardinals to come back and greet me next spring. I stop noticing the people when Spring comes, because for me, Spring is all about Nature taking over from us and doing her thing. As Spring progresses, everything is green and grown and full and lush and warm and colorful. It gets warmer and the rains let up. Before you know it, it's too warm for Spring......