Spring seems to be taking its time arriving this year. It may be due to the fact that this winter seemed to have an unusually high number of cold, overcast days. Without digging out the old handwritten daily journals I used to keep of the weather and seasonal happenings, I'm sure everything is a couple of weeks behind normal this year. The flowering trees have yet to start blooming, the daffodils and hyacinths have been sporadic in popping up, and even the dandelion and violet wood sorrel flowers are still few and far between. It's definitely a slow season when even the weeds are reluctant to bloom!
There is, however, life in the old birdhouse again this year! The House Sparrows have their first clutch already, and now on mild days we can open the kitchen window and the sound of the babies begging for food can be heard inside the house. Some people hate House Sparrows and consider them a nuisance but we have a soft spot for them. They're cheerful, pushy, bold, and prolific descendants of European immigrants who made a place for themselves in the USA....just like most of the people who live here! And slow spring or not, they're always among the first birds to nest each year. Watching the family life of birds is one of my favorite things about springtime.
I also love the longer days. Even if warmer weather and flowers are slow in coming this year, at least the extra minutes of daylight we're gaining each day are guaranteed. The short dark days of winter depress me, and I love it when the days are growing longer again rapidly, as they do in March.
How is the season progressing where you live?
On my early morning walk yesterday, I spotted my first flowering Cowslips of Spring.
ReplyDeleteI'll bet they were pretty!
DeleteAh, I see you're a fan of Going Gently as well, love John Gray!
ReplyDeleteYes I feel we really earned our spring this year, ours will be much later in coming :)