Spring Has Sprung...or Has It?

Well, I know by the date on the calendar that spring has arrived but you could fool me this morning when the thermometer read 29 and holding! In general, the number 29 makes me smile. I remember being 29; married that year, a new house...my entire life ahead of me! When we're talking temperatures and spring is the word, it doesn't do anything to my step except make me walk faster to get inside! I am hearing the chirping as I type, I do see the bulbs forcing their way through the remaining mulch, just peeking out to check to see if it's safe. I say, go back to bed for a few. While waiting for the mercury to rise...and just a tad, I do LOVE summer but really get a jolt from springtime, I am going to pump up my bike tires and dig out my riding apparel. Other things that we tend to do while welcoming spring and warmer weather is clear out the flower beds of debris. I don't know about where you are but the March winds have been whipping and my yard is full of oddities. G-2 bottles, deflated snow tubes, newspapers, all promptly delivered overnight via the March winds. It gets trapped in my fencing so it's becoming a daily chore to clear out the beds. While I'm there I'll grab a bagful of dead leaves and such too. Might speed things up for me in a few weeks when the mulch arrives. Al Fresco dining is my favorite and there's a short period of time when my husband will join me. It's now. Once it gets too hot for this non-southern boy (being a southern belle, I thrive on the heat!) he's A/C bound 24/7. It goes on in May and stays on through October if he has anything to say about it, and, of course, he does. So I spend much of my time when I'm home out on my back porch. I start my day with my coffee and paperwork there. I usually will have a friend or two stop by for a chat and a glass of wine and then dinner will be served to the family al fresco. Meet me there or dine alone inside, doesn't matter to me! Early morning walks are again a possibility as it's not quite so cold and dark. With longer daylight hours I've been seen out back tossing a baseball with my sons, and even finessing a lacrosse stick on occasion after dinner. Love the early evening outdoor family time and I miss that in the dead of winter. I think the dog feels it too! She's definitely got the same spring in her step and enjoys her more frequent walks. She has her own little cleanup efforts, retrieving any bones she's buried over the winter months. I'm thankful for that happening before the mulching, not after! So, take advantage of the calendars' proclamation, even if it means adding a layer and mittens. It won't be much longer before we're sitting poolside sipping cocktails and these next few weeks shouldn't be missed. Enjoy the bloomin' day! Miriam