Searching for Signs of Spring

Wednesday, March 27, 2013 – Searching for Signs of Spring

The meteorologists say spring started on the first of March.  The astronomers say it started on March 20, the date of the equinox.  But whoever is in charge of the weather obviously didn’t get the message.  Temperatures remain unseasonably cold here, as in much of the country.  In spite of the wintery conditions, I was determined to find some signs of spring when I went for a morning walk.  Bundled up against the blustery wind, I spent a good half hour searching along my familiar route and discovered some hopeful harbingers of the coming season.  For one thing, my namesake birds were out in force, surely an indication of spring’s imminent arrival.  The crows were making a racket, and I heard one very busy woodpecker.  

It was starting to smell like spring, too, with the aroma of fresh mulch scenting the air. Spring color, however, was harder to find.  Some daffodils, crocuses, and a few baby hyacinths braved the wintery chill.  Even the ground cover in my front yard was sporting its periwinkle flowers.  I was encouraged to see the vivid yellow buds forming on the early-blooming forsythia bushes.  In another week, they should be dazzling.  While most of the neighborhood trees remained bare, there were a few exceptions.  Can anyone identify the type of tree that produces these fuzzy reddish blossoms?  

And of course, the sighting of not-quite-open cherry blossoms was the high point of my nature walk.  I’ll be going back on a daily basis to monitor their progress.