Spring has to be one of my favorite seasons. While I enjoy all the seasons, or at least some aspect of all the seasons, spring tops the list for a number of reasons. After a normal winter, unlike this past winter that was unusually warm, it signals the end of snow with warming temperatures, longer daylight hours, and buds on all the trees and plants. Perhaps most indicative that spring has arrived (which I know it arrived a while ago) is the symphony of birds trumpeting their songs for all to hear. And while it can still get chilly at night, the temperature reaches my favorite level during the day and stays there for a little while. Whats that temperature you ask? Why, it is between 50 and 65 degrees. I personally don't care for the hot humid air of summer that hangs heavy and ushers the sweat out of seemingly every pore of your body. No, I would rather have it be a little bit cooler, the breeze sending slight shivers down your arm, and have no humidity to speak of. But alas, spring can not last forever as I sometimes wish it would, so I enjoy every minute of it while I can. Another aspect of spring that I must mention is the arrival of the leaves on the trees. For a week or so in early spring, the trees almost look as they do in fall, covered in gold and red buds, erupting from a long winter's slumber of slow growth. It seems as though they transition from that golden, reddish hue to a bright vibrant green overnight. One day you are driving down the road and there are no leaves on the trees, the next day, the leaves are there, truly amazing.
That is one of the blessings of my job as a contractor; when it gets nice out, I move outdoors and begin working outside. Granted, not all days are conducive to working outside, especially if it is raining, but after a beautiful day like yesterday, I can't complain at all. As a contractor, I may be staring at a house for most of a day, but I am surrounded by the often cacophonous sound of nature, bees buzzing from flower to flower inspecting every corner for a possible new hive location, the birds calling out to their brethren, the leaves whispering to each other as the wind blows gently through them. Who needs music when you have such a diverse soundtrack for your day. And what could be better than to take a break from work, simply turn around and enjoy the view of spring all around. Yesterday, the temperature remained in the low 60's, perfect for working, and while I was involved in some difficult, sweat producing work, I wasn't drenched by the end of the day as I would be in the summer. But it isn't only the days of spring that are my favorite, it is also the nights of spring that draw me outdoors. Spring, as well as fall in this regard, are perhaps the perfect time for sitting around a fire outdoors. It isn't freezing, it isn't hot and humid, it is just the right temperature for a nice blazing outdoor fire. And whats more, if you catch the timing of the moon cycles just right, you get treated to a beautiful full moon turning the night into a pale day.
Saturday night as I was sitting around the campfire in Vermont, I noticed that after it had gotten dark out, it was actually starting to get light again. There were a few wispy clouds peppering the night sky and over the tops of some pine trees, I noticed a white glow start to grow and permeate the surrounding sky. The moon was on its way up and with the slowly passing clouds, it almost looked as if there was an eruption of white light. The clouds, slowly drifting as they were, looked as if they were churning around the moon in slow motion, heaving to and fro, catching the white light, distorting it, and moving on in their slow meandering way. It could have been one of the best moon rises I have every seen. Of course, my measly iPhone did not do a very good job of capturing it in all its glory, but my memory will have to suffice. If it were winter or summer, the moon rise would not have been nearly as enjoyable, but being it was spring time and not all the leaves were covering the trees yet, it was perfect. So as I get ready for a rainy day of indoor work, I remember all the beautiful days of spring, look forward to more, and hope that the heat of summer holds off for as long as possible. Even now, I hear the birds beginning their morning songs, waking each other up and letting us now that another day has begun.
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