Spring has Sprung — finally!

De spring has sprung, De grass has riz. I wonder where de boidies is? De boids is on de win’, I hoid But dat’s obzoid! I t’ought de win’ was on de boid.

De spring has sprung,

De grass has riz.

I wonder where de boidies is?

De boids is on de win’, I hoid

But dat’s obzoid!

I t’ought de win’ was on de boid.

(“Spring in the Bronx”, Anonymous)

Yes, spring has, finally, sprung. Hallelujah!

Stepping outside, especially on a damp, drizzly day, the air is redolent with the scent of tree blossoms: predominantly maple*, but birch, poplar, oak and, of course, a wide variety of conifer species. My van is covered in a fine dusting of yellowish-green pollen grains.

(* it smells like $100 bills)

More than anything else, this is what lets me know that Spring has arrived.

I travelled to London and back last weekend. Travelling through Michigan one noticed that the further south one travelled the more advanced the trees were. Here in the Sault the leaves were just beginning to open. By Gaylord leaves were fully pen, but smallish, and by Flint they were full size.

On the return trip I noticed the Russian Olives, lining the right-of-way on the I-69 and I-75, were in bloom. As the blossoms are very small, they weren’t immediately obvious by sight — the trees just look “frosted.”

The scent of the Russian Olive, however, is very sweet and very powerful.

In the late 90s my father struck his head and the resulting skull fracture caused him to lose his sense of smell. A few years later, when we were in Stratford to take in a play, he commented on the scent — which for him, at the time, was unknown.

I could smell the trees from inside the vehicle, with the windows up and A/C on.

Of course, I truly enjoy seeing the Spring flowers.

Speaking of which — while local Flowering Crabapples are just beginning to bloom, those in mid-Michigan have finished blooming.

In fairness, people I spoke with in Michigan and Southern Ontario have noted that Spring came late for them, too. But, being that much further south than us, it was still earlier than here.

Now that Spring is here, we can only hope that it doesn’t rush past too quickly, and that we are able to enjoy such a beautiful season.

I haven’t spoken to anyone, yet, about how their long-weekend went, and whether anyone has gone swimming. I’m guessing the water might still be a tad cool.

Of course, it is a common complaint that Summer passes too quickly, and to have an early transition from Spring gives us that much more time to enjoy Summer.

However, we have no control over the weather or the change of seasons — despite the efforts of our Druidic predecessors.

Listening to people complain about the weather one gets the impression that there are those who believe that forecasters actually make the weather happen. (Not to mention that the annual PeeWee Midway makes it rain on the long weekend.)

All we can do is get out and enjoy the good weather when it comes. Even a day like today, grey and overcast and cool, is still very enjoyable.

And really, as I often here people say, “Any day you wake up on the right side of the grass is a good day.”

Given the events of the past couple of weeks — the tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, and the wind storm in the Thessalon are (which caused extensive damage to Pinecrest Trailer Park and adjacent Camp McDougall United Church Camp) — complaining about cooler temperatures and a bit of rain seems rather silly, to me.

So, whatever the weather, we should just be content with greeting another day, and making the best of it.

But… that’s just my opinion.