Spring?!

I am sure that many people here are cautiously optimistic that spring is here.  We tend to look at the early signs of spring with a rather jaded eye.  We have been fooled before. 

This is a place to which spring usually comes in fits and starts.  A few warm, sunny days, then a blizzard and we are digging out of snow for another two weeks.  We don’t want to get our hopes up, then be disappointed when winter makes a big return. 

But, it is looking pretty good today.  We have had two days of the past week that have been near 60F.  The snow is gone, with the exception of a few big dirty drifts or piles left after shoveling.  The grass is still brown, there are no buds or leaves on the trees yet, but there is  almost a smell in the air-the smell of spring!

We live on a major river.  It is prone to flooding, but not here.  The level goes way up, but nowhere near being over the banks.  It is quite high right now.  A little island that sits just off our shore is nearly covered by the water.  Little icebergs float by, on the way to the dam downstream, which often becomes jammed with ice at this time of year. Later in the spring, we see logs and miscellaneous debris float by as well.  One year, a lawn chair became wedged into a tree along the bank.

I love spring.  Who doesn’t? Here, we have a very short spring, and the season quickly moves into summer-hot, muggy and buggy.  The green is the best part of spring-just seeing it pop through all of the brown, and take over the area.  We have a rather big yard area that needs to be mowed.  This year, we hope to do some landscaping projects and add some flower beds, mulching, and trees to break up all of that grass.  I hope we can fit it in to the busy summer schedule.

Our daughter and her boyfriend will be here visiting for their spring break next week. We are really looking forward to having them here.  We did see them at the funeral last month, but that was not exactly a relaxing time to talk and get to know the boyfriend.  She wants us to get to know the boyfriend.  I am interpreting that as meaning this is a life partner for her.  I don’t know about marriage, as I don’t really know if she plans to marry.  I have heard her say different things about that over the years.  In any event, we are going to be spending time together.  They are waiting to hear where his job will take them.  We also want to know where they will be over the next few years.    We hope that they will be living somewhere that we will enjoy visiting-perhaps a warm place to visit in the winter!

I am missing the granddaughters so very much now that they have moved into their own place.  Our 3 year old granddaughter loves her new home.  She very proudly showed me her room, and called me in to play into her room-like she would call to a dog-“come here, ga, come!”  She closed the door behind us and we played and talked together in her room for about a half hour.  It was wonderful.  The one-year-old granddaughter is now walking behind push toys…..she is very proud of herself.  The two girls are playing together much more.  The oldest dressing up the younger, and the two of them giggling.  They will have a fun summer.

I guess that spring will be here soon, even if not yet, but it is enjoyable nonetheless.  And summer is right behind it!

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