Surprised by Spring
As promised, spring has finally shown its face. And it's done it much like I had envisioned; with a bang. This past week the rains stopped, the sun came out, and the air from Africa brought temperatures worthy of late May or early June. Suddenly, trees remembered they had leaves waiting to come out, and blossoms shook off their winter coats. It suddenly became much more pleasant to be outside than to sit inside the still-cool house.
Windows have been propped open to let the air in, and the wood stove has only been lit late in the evening to warm the house (kitchen) for the night, but only for a few hours. Finally, I've started to wear short sleeves, though it's not quite shorts-warm. Yesterday and the day before I've already been walking, to the village and back. Before this week, walking was a question of running out to the car, and back to the door before getting very wet.
I think it was Thursday night, I stepped outside and was surprised by a sound. At first, I thought there was some kind of electrical motor malfunctioning. Then I realized it was a sound I hadn't heard in months. Crickets! They were so loud and joyful that the noise had startled me. Doves have started to coo, as well. In these past afternoons, stepping outside I heard, "coo-coooo, coo." Pretty soon, in about a month or so, we'll be hearing the cuckoo in the woods, singing the hours.
Spring has come late this year. The trees and plants should have started to put out their shoots last month. Some other years, they've even done so in February. That's too early. My forecast is that we in the northwest will have pretty much excellent weather from now until mid-June. Then, we'll get a heatwave, to be followed by a cool and rainy summer. It's Murphy's Law. We cried for rain last fall, expecting another dry winter. Murphy answered our cries, copiously. We'll be crying for rain again by early June. And we're going to get it, in bucketfulls.
Windows have been propped open to let the air in, and the wood stove has only been lit late in the evening to warm the house (kitchen) for the night, but only for a few hours. Finally, I've started to wear short sleeves, though it's not quite shorts-warm. Yesterday and the day before I've already been walking, to the village and back. Before this week, walking was a question of running out to the car, and back to the door before getting very wet.
I think it was Thursday night, I stepped outside and was surprised by a sound. At first, I thought there was some kind of electrical motor malfunctioning. Then I realized it was a sound I hadn't heard in months. Crickets! They were so loud and joyful that the noise had startled me. Doves have started to coo, as well. In these past afternoons, stepping outside I heard, "coo-coooo, coo." Pretty soon, in about a month or so, we'll be hearing the cuckoo in the woods, singing the hours.
Spring has come late this year. The trees and plants should have started to put out their shoots last month. Some other years, they've even done so in February. That's too early. My forecast is that we in the northwest will have pretty much excellent weather from now until mid-June. Then, we'll get a heatwave, to be followed by a cool and rainy summer. It's Murphy's Law. We cried for rain last fall, expecting another dry winter. Murphy answered our cries, copiously. We'll be crying for rain again by early June. And we're going to get it, in bucketfulls.
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