The birds are chasing each other, trees are budding, tulips are pushing up. Spring has arrived. But the birds and the bees aren’t the only ones coming out to play with the warmer weather.

This is kind of a crazy post, I’m a little embarrassed to even write about it, but every spring this happens. Something must be in the air. Here where I live, there’s a month or two in the spring where it’s warm enough to leave your windows open at night and cool enough to leave the air conditioning off. It’s before the allergy season hits, before the mosquitoes are really pesky, and when being woke up by the birds is still pleasant.

Winter is so long here. Everyone stays shut up in their homes (except the hour or two after a snowstorm ends and everyone emerges to dig themselves out) and neighbors don’t generally chat. The thing about winter is the silence. Ever been out walking in the snow at night? Take away the sounds of the city, and there’s just silence. Your boots crunching on the snow – and not much else. Maybe a coyote in the country, a few chickadees or a blue jay. But spring is full of sound. Spring brings out the walkers, the gardeners, the kids, and the backyard enthusiasts. Everyone is buzzing with joy about the return of the warmer weather. Continue reading →