Give Spring a hand

Late afternoon yesterday we went for a drive through the countryside. Celebrating the arrival, however brief, of warm weather in Minnesota prompted a trip to the Taylors Falls Drive-In for dinner. The pale red blush of red maples in flower is noticeable almost everywhere. Weeping willows have morphed from early season yellow to chartreuse as Spring's green creeps up (down?) their limbs. Leaves on many of the local shrubs and poplars are the size of mouse's ears. Day lilies have emerged. Oaks are being recalcitrant about bursting their buds and letting their leaves down. Their time will come soon enough.

day lilies emerging

Photo by J. Harrington

Even allowing for microclimate differences, have you noticed the differences in emergence periods among species in any given year, as well as from year to year? It's a good reminder about not putting all our eggs in one basket. They also offer extended periods of sequential ephemeral delights as we watch the north country awaken from a long Winter's nap.

the blush of Spring

Photo by J. Harrington

Ephemeral also describes the beauty of sunsets at this time of year. They're much warmer than during Winter, but fade quickly to night.

a warm Spring sunset

Photo by J. Harrington

E. E. Cummings, 1894 - 1962

          III

Spring is like a perhaps hand 
(which comes carefully 
out of Nowhere)arranging 
a window,into which people look(while 
people stare
arranging and changing placing 
carefully there a strange 
thing and a known thing here)and

changing everything carefully

spring is like a perhaps 
Hand in a window 
(carefully to 
and fro moving New and 
Old things,while 
people stare carefully 
moving a perhaps 
fraction of flower here placing 
an inch of air there)and

without breaking anything.

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