Whispers and Heralds of Spring

It’s spring! Farewell
     To chills and colds!
     The blushing, girlish
     World unfolds
Each flower, leaf
     And blade of sod—
     Small letters sent
     To her from God.
           (John Updike)

The calendar says it's here.  Some folks, however, dispute the time and date for the exact arrival of official spring.

I'd say that would be some of us who have lived more springs than others. 

Yes, as one Facebook friend said this morning she's not buying it.  

Spring starts tomorrow, she maintains. 

I'll second her contention cuz I remember remembering the dates of seasons always starting on the 21st of those four respective months for winter, spring, summer and fall. 

I won't argue with others, however, who want spring to begin today somewhere around 9 a.m. 

My response is gonna be the same whether spring starts today or tomorrow.

Yup, I'll keep on cleaning up those doggie do's., keep on raking the gravel back to the driveway as the snow continues to melt and keep on thinking about how and when I'm gonna transplant all those baby flowers and veggies taking up space in the kitchen.

I always watch the nightly temperatures for a week or ten days out to see when the best time is to hook up the heater and scare-away-the-moles light in the greenhouse. 

When it looks safe for baby plant overnighters in the greenhouse, the challenge of transplanting into bigger pots will diminish. 

In the meantime, I'll also keep on watching the snow melt, knowing that underneath it all lies a full work load over the next several weeks. 

We are not exactly seeing any lovely sights of spring just yet, but, my oh my, the place and surrounding farms are alive with the sounds of spring. 

This morning, after doing my chores I walked around in the yard and in the woods, taking footsteps in places where I hadn't gone for months.

With every step a lovely and lively chorus added a special touch to my outdoors experience in semi-darkness. 

Birds have come back, and birds want us to know they're happy to be back. And, they don't even need daylight to read the notes chirped out in glorious avian melodies. 

Hearing these lovely sounds while walking through new plots of bare ground brings a sense of renewal and maybe even a touch of euphoria.

This first day of spring or penultimate day of winter (take your choice) is a bit cloudy and gray, but our winged residents more than make up for the lack of sun. 

Welcome, Spring and welcome to the season of "everything," aka "too much to do, so little time." 

Beats hibernating and slouching on the couch any day.

In the Food for Thought category, I'm leaving you with two links this morning. 

And, like the birds, I'll herald the first one.  Luke, Garrett, Emily and the gang of hundreds around Idaho have made the big time with their efforts to get Medicaid expansion on the Idaho ballot.

As I've noted before, if you are reading this and have not signed the petition or know folks who have not signed, check out places or people in your area so that you can sign. 

They're moving along, but every signature counts in the effort to get this Initiative on the ballot.  And, remember:  signing the petition simply gets it on the ballot.  Then, the people of Idaho can make their decision at the ballot box in November.  

Thanks for reading the article and for acting on this issue if you have not done so before. 

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/in-this-red-state-progressives-are-taking-matters-into-their-own-hands_us_5aadb598e4b0337adf8449fa?ncid=engmodushpmg00000004

This second link takes you to an article which my older brother posted on Facebook this morning. Like my brother, I feel that this story reflects my feelings about what is happening in our country. 

For those who would dismiss what it has to say purely for political reasons, please know that I am a person who owes no allegiance to either political party.  

Throughout my adult lifetime, I have voted on both sides of the ballot at the national, regional and local level, mainly for the reasons expressed by this Hawaiian congressman. 

Integrity, values in general and example rule over political party.  So, it's worth the read.  This man stands as a great example in my mind. 

http://www.civilbeat.org/2018/03/charles-djou-why-im-leaving-the-gop/
  
Happy Tuesday and Happy Spring, whenever it arrives!