Signs of Spring

Last weekend we switched to Daylight Savings Time. As usual, there was some discussion whether it actually saves electricity this day and age, and some people are affected worse than others, suffering from “jetlag” for a week or so before they adjust to the time change. It’s always been easy for me so I don’t mind losing an hour of sleep once a year if it means I can stay outside a little while longer on lazy summer nights.

When DST arrives, it also means winter is almost behind us and spring looms in the near future. We have had an unseasonably mild winter here, and for the first time in recent memory spring seems to have sprung a month earlier than usual. Spring bulbs and early perennials have awoken and are showing their welcome green in the surface of crusty soil or protective dead foliage from last fall; the air is warmed by the sun shining from a blue sky sometimes dotted with white clouds; birds are singing and looking for building material for their nests and places to build them; rabbits are changing colour and tearing around the backyard staking out territory for a safe place to have their young. It’s spring, all right!

We are lucky to have a walking path right behind our house, and we make good use of it—sometimes we just walk to the end of the path and back again for a quick bit of exercise and sometimes we do the loop for a longer walk. Usually I do not take my camera with me on these walks, but the new me did yesterday. It’s not that there is anything spectacular or particularly interesting to take pictures of along the path, but I remembered the words of a pro who said, “there’s always something to photograph… you just have to look for it.” Trees and bushes line the path in pockets, and lo and behold, there was evidence of spring in them, too! Swollen leaf buds and catkins begged to be seen through my viewfinder against the blue sky and I had a lot of fun shooting from different angles.  The one I share with you is my favourite.

It would be naïve to think we have seen the last of snow. We always have one or two spring storms which brings with it wet heavy snow and lots of it. But for now I’ll enjoy each spring day… after all, spring is my favourite season of the year.