Welcome spring, finally...

Spring began on March 20, and when that date was approaching, I was waiting on it with breathless anticipation. I do not like winter, and when it goes away, it is like being released from an odd form of prison. I feel that way for a number of reasons, but I will not be sharing any of them in this column.

When spring hits, it literally is a breath of fresh air most years. Temperatures quickly moderate and we see lots of color sprouting around us. Charcoal is replaced by blossoms.

With this in mind, I have been quite disappointed with how this spring has begun. It did not begin with a bang last month because it was cold and we even had a little bit of snow during the first few days. High temperatures in the thirties were not what I was fantasizing about while I was lingering in my winter cell.

However, this is not unusual. It is not realistic to expect spring to begin with 80-degree temperatures and trips to the lake. In fact, I can remember some March weather that ranks right up there with the most severe winter weather we have experienced in this area.

For example, the Superstorm of 1993 dumped more than 10 inches of snow here and that took place in the middle of March. Technically, it was still winter, but it was an example of how weather can march to the beat of its own drum.

Now that we have segued into April, spring seems to be climbing out of its funk, but I am not entirely satisfied. The average high temperature for this point of the season is in the mid to upper 60s, and we seem to be having problems hitting that with consistency.

I am looking for those glorious days where it is still cool enough to wear a sweatshirt but warm enough to wear shorts. When looking around me, I see some people have already reached that point. I am happy for them, but I still have to wear a light jacket when walking out to the mailbox. Maybe my delicate pink skin is getting too sensitive as I age.

Spring brings simple joys that often cannot be experienced in winter. For example, I enjoy mowing my lawn. While some may scoff at that being a simple pleasure, I like getting out there and pushing that little mower around.

Of course, I do not have a very big yard, so maybe that is part of why I enjoy it. It is not too big to become a nuisance.

However, the bigger point is the season allows us to get outside more and rid ourselves of the claustrophobia that being in the house can bring. ‘Claustrophobia’ is probably too dramatic of a word to use, but I do not like being cooped up. A couple of walks around the block is about the best tonic there is if a person has had a bad day. And it is tougher to do that in the dead of winter.

Sure, there are plenty of places to exercise indoors, but it is not the same as being engaged with nature. Spending a couple of hours just walking around a place like Old Stone Fort is infinitely healthier than mindless time on a treadmill.

Not that time on a treadmill is entirely bad. After all, some exercise is better than no exercise, and if a treadmill is all a person has, then he should go for it.

So, it is only a matter of days before spring completely comes out of its shell. Let us hope it is sooner rather than later.

A taste of early spring

This has been a great winter for those who enjoy snow. Most weeks, there has been a chance of snow and more often than not we have gotten some of the white stuff.

There have been flurries, small snows and large snows (by Tennessee standards, anyway). There have been nuisance snows that have only disrupted our lives a little bit. Then, there have been deep snows that have caused a lot of problems especially if a person has been caught far from home.

For instance, I work in Davidson County so I have had my eyes on the skies quite often this season. The Weather Channel's web site has been an invaluable resource during this time. A delayed decision of only a few minutes can mean the difference between a smooth ride home and having to dodge slick spots in the rural areas of Interstate 24.

In the last couple of weeks, I have reached the inescapable conclusion that I am sick of snow. As a child I yearned for it, and as an adult, I have tolerated it. This year, it has provoked angst and gnashing of teeth.

I am confident this will only be a temporary situation. Next winter, if snow is in short supply, I am sure I will become anxious to see it again and will complain if it does not come.

However, for the time being, I am fed up with it.

Fortunately, we have gotten a break from this the last few days. We have had temperatures at or above normal. Because of this, my mind has been wandering to the upcoming spring.

During the day, temperatures will become warm enough to wear shorts while the evenings will remain cool enough so we have to keep an extra blanket on the bed. A perfect weather day is when it is cool enough to wear a sweatshirt while warm enough to wear shorts. It is a perfect blend of what nature has to offer.

Of course, I am not naïve enough to believe that winter has gently slipped into the background. History shows us that March has plenty of teeth when it comes to winter weather.

In recent history, the March Superstorm of 1993 dumped more than 10 inches of snow on us here locally. In an ironic twist, this was on the same weekend that the Coffee County girls' basketball team won the state championship.

Instead of being at the game, I can remember listening to it on the radio. And it was all because of the snow.

My advice is that we not let our guards down because I have a feeling winter still has some tricks up its sleeve. As unpredictable as the season has been, there is no reason to believe that there will not be one more big snowfall dumped on us.

If that happens, that will be a sad day. Of course, there is tremendous irony in my feelings on this. Even after all the snow we have seen, watching it fall from the sky is still one of the most beautiful sights in the world.

Much like a dog sticks his head out the window of a moving car, I cannot stop looking outside when it is snowing.

As it falls, thoughts are not about the hazards the flakes will cause. The flakes seem like small, beautiful works of art. It is art so beautiful that it would be a sin not to appreciate their beauty.

Then, of course, the snow stops falling, and I walk outside and slip and fall. At this point, reality trumps art, and my thoughts go back to spring again.

It is about one month until spring. Let us hope that we have an early one.

Ode to spring, No. 2

I don't mean to beat this concept to death (I posted something similar to this on March 23), but I came across some great spring colors as I was out and about today. There is nothing better than blooming flowers after several days of rain.

Ode to spring

As I was running errands on Saturday, I noticed that nature is kicking it into high gear when it comes to the vividness of spring. The only camera I had with me was the one in my cell phone, so these images lack sharpness. Still, I think they get the point across.

The long, bleak winter

As months go, January is a dreary month. Falling in the shadow of the holiday season, there really isn't much to recommend it.

True, early January is exciting. The New Year has begun and most people are optimistic about the months to come. However, this feeling wears off quickly.

At this point, we are confronted with what January really is. From a financial point of view, most people have to deal with the aftermath of how they overextended themselves when it comes to Christmas purchases.

If it isn't the reality of the credit card bills arriving in our mailboxes, then it's the emptiness of our savings' accounts that cause a lot of anxiety.

When it comes to dreariness though, much of it occurs because of the weather and dullness of nature. We may take it for granted but nature adds a tremendous amount to the quality of our daily lives.

Right now, when we look outside we mostly see a charcoal gray landscape. Nothing is blooming. There are no vivid colors. The whole thing blends into nothingness.

Additionally, the weather tends to isolate us. It becomes a lot easier to stay home during the evening than to venture out for fun because of the cold. This leads to what some folks call "cabin fever."

I hate cabin fever. Even though I am a homebody by nature, I really dislike having to stay there when we go through the bitterly low temperatures that we experienced a week or so ago.

When this feeling sets in, it produces a restlessness that cannot be satisfied. None of my interests are able to tide me over. All I feel is that I don't want to be where I am and that San Diego might not be that bad a place to live despite being in California.

However, it is at times like this that I have to remind myself to be patient. This is because the dreariness of January has a purpose. It may not seem that way as we are going through it, but there is a purpose.

After all, a person can't truly appreciate the good aspects of life without going through some of the bad. Winter confines us in ways that many don't enjoy. When we are confined, we feel out of control, which is probably why I dislike cabin fever so much. Instead of staying home because I enjoy it, I'm being forced to do so by the weather, and I don't like that feeling.

Still, help is on the way. Even though it doesn't feel like it right now, spring is just around the corner. In only a matter of weeks, the charcoal landscape will give way to all sorts of vivid colors.

Even though spring begins in late March, look for the change to actually begin in late February. The temperatures will slowly moderate, and many early blooming flowers and trees will begin to show growth.

The older I get, the more I appreciate spring. Much like bears awakening from hibernation, we leave the warmth of our homes and become more active outside during spring.

The pace of life picks up in a dramatic and better way. How could it not? Spring is a time of rebirth, and if a season of rebirth does not put more pep in your step, then I do not know what will.

So, hang on, those of you suffering from cabin fever. The days of dreariness are dwindling.

It may seem like it is far away, but it will be here before you know it.