Spring springing, birds singing

I remember when I was much younger finding skunk cabbage in the early days of Spring as I wandered the undeveloped, damp corners of Hingham, Massachusetts. I've seen reports of its emergence this year in the Twin Cities area. It may be time for me to reclaim the wandering spirit of my younger self and see if I can find any locally emergent skunk cabbage.

I did notice yesterday that the trees closer to St. Paul had advanced in bud-burst and leaf out well beyond the growth in our local copses. Urban heat island effect? For the most part, our local fields and wood lots have remained basically sere until the past day or so. I expect "greening" of the countryside to explode these coming weeks. We got some much needed moisture and now will enjoy some even more needed warmth. Personally, I think we'd be better served if our taxes were due on January 15th, and we made April 15th the start of a new year. Other countries and cultures may have been (and may be) more in tune with annual cycles than were the Romans.

sere fields in early Spring

Photo by J. Harrington

To a Marsh Hawk in Spring

By Henry David Thoreau 

There is health in thy gray wing,

Health of nature’s furnishing.

Say, thou modern-winged antique,

Was thy mistress ever sick?

In each heaving of thy wing

Thou dost health and leisure bring,

Thou dost waive disease and pain

And resume new life again. 

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