Today was one of those days that make you think spring is around the corner. And tonight completely erases that foolish thought from your head.
Outside of some rodent being dragged from his den, spring is determined by many factors. All which we have no control over. They follow a loose but set pattern. I will tell you as a life long resident of New England there are signs that I look for to herald the coming of spring. One of my favorites being snow fleas. Okay, okay, they really aren't fleas but they are small and sort of look like fleas. And they do not hop on you and try to make a meal of your blood. They are really a small insect known as a 'springtail'. And that name comes from 2 'tails' on their backs that tuck under their abdomen. When they want to move they release the 'tails' and spring to their new destination. They eat mostly decaying plant matter or sap. So if you look closely by the base of a tree on a warm winters day, you will most likely see these little creatures. The only time I really have noticed them are on the first warm days heading towards spring. I have never seen them in January but definitely in February. It's just one thing that makes me believe (no matter how unreasonable) that spring can't be that far away.
I also look for the more 'normal' signs of spring. Like sap buckets. Once again these odd shape creatures in no way will harm you. In fact if the liquid gathered inside the buckets is boiled down (first filter out any moths or flies) you will find you can make another 'sign' of spring, sugar on snow. A New England delicacy and a Vermont specialty.
I will also take a red winged blackbird over a robin as a sign of spring. Or coltsfoot blooming on the side of the road as one of the earliest spring flowers. Spring is what you make of it. It is a scent in the air. The sounds of geese returning. Mud season. The bob houses being pulled in from the lakes. Its is not a day on a calendar. It is a feeling, a knowing that the earth is waking from its winter sleep. Suddenly the days are longer, the air smells sweeter, there is bird song and the breeze contains a warmth not felt since the leaves dropped. That is spring.
So keep looking and you will eventually see what you are looking for. Whether it be bugs, birds or flowers, spring really is just around the corner.
Outside of some rodent being dragged from his den, spring is determined by many factors. All which we have no control over. They follow a loose but set pattern. I will tell you as a life long resident of New England there are signs that I look for to herald the coming of spring. One of my favorites being snow fleas. Okay, okay, they really aren't fleas but they are small and sort of look like fleas. And they do not hop on you and try to make a meal of your blood. They are really a small insect known as a 'springtail'. And that name comes from 2 'tails' on their backs that tuck under their abdomen. When they want to move they release the 'tails' and spring to their new destination. They eat mostly decaying plant matter or sap. So if you look closely by the base of a tree on a warm winters day, you will most likely see these little creatures. The only time I really have noticed them are on the first warm days heading towards spring. I have never seen them in January but definitely in February. It's just one thing that makes me believe (no matter how unreasonable) that spring can't be that far away.
I also look for the more 'normal' signs of spring. Like sap buckets. Once again these odd shape creatures in no way will harm you. In fact if the liquid gathered inside the buckets is boiled down (first filter out any moths or flies) you will find you can make another 'sign' of spring, sugar on snow. A New England delicacy and a Vermont specialty.
I will also take a red winged blackbird over a robin as a sign of spring. Or coltsfoot blooming on the side of the road as one of the earliest spring flowers. Spring is what you make of it. It is a scent in the air. The sounds of geese returning. Mud season. The bob houses being pulled in from the lakes. Its is not a day on a calendar. It is a feeling, a knowing that the earth is waking from its winter sleep. Suddenly the days are longer, the air smells sweeter, there is bird song and the breeze contains a warmth not felt since the leaves dropped. That is spring.
So keep looking and you will eventually see what you are looking for. Whether it be bugs, birds or flowers, spring really is just around the corner.
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