The weather has been gorgeous for the past few days. I’ve been relishing the sunshine and warmth, though survivor guilt threatens now and then. I feel a few twinges at the thought of my teacher friends trying to make long division interesting enough to keep kids from staring out the window and daydreaming about freedom. But then I hear a cardinal singing in the treetop and see a new tulip blooming in the garden and get over it pretty quick.
From my viewpoint, spring has been mighty cooperative this year. it was in full swing during my trip to Morgantown, West Virginia last week. The daffodils, tulips, rhododendron and forsythia were in full bloom, and one hilltop was swathed in redbud blossoms. I was sure the scenery in Minneapolis would be a letdown since spring had to be weeks away there, but I was wrong. The same flowers were in full bloom there, with fragrant white magnolias ahead of the redbuds.
People in the Twin Cities kept commenting on their early spring, so I steeled myself for the inevitable: the magnolias and redbuds, the rhododendrons, tulips and daffodils would be old news by the time I arrived home, three hours south. Once again, I was wrong.
Spring came late to central Iowa, holding back curtain time until my travels were over. The buds are just now opening on our pink magnolia, and this morning the faintest tinge of purple laced the neighbor’s redbud trees. The rhubarb’s six inches tall, and the asparagus has yet to show its ugly face. The hard winter must have been hard on the bunny population, because very few rabbits have shown their faces, and they haven’t eaten the tulips for lunch this year. Of course, the creeping Charlie and the quack grass aren’t wasting any time getting established, but I’m waiting for a good rain so the dirt is soft and easy for pulling weeds.
For this one week, life’s been about as perfect as it can be. I’m keeping the windows open and letting my eyes wander from the computer screen to the green grass and budding trees outside my window. Who knows when spring will be this cooperative and lovely again? I’m determined not to waste it.
