It’s Always Nice to say Goodbye to Winter

I am always happy to say goodbye to winter.

I suppose everyone has a favorite time of year. A couple of my close friends absolutely love winter. My husband and sons are fond of fall. My mama is partial to summer.

But for me, the best time of year is spring.

I’m especially enchanted with the awakening that happens in spring. The grass, almost overnight it seems, goes from brown to green, flower bulbs pop up all over the place; the trees begin the leafing process, which changes them from stark skeletons to lush, green, shade providers in seemingly no time at all.

Yup, in my humble opinion, spring is the proverbial cat’s meow.

But, (there’s always a but isn’t there?) Spring in south-central Idaho is always quite a hair raising challenge. I don’t say that tongue in cheek. If you live in south-central Idaho, there is a pretty good chance you are quite familiar with what I call Permanent Traumatic Wind Mayhem Illness. Or…. a bit tongue in cheek: PiTy World Me Illness! PityWeMe.

Yup, if you live in south-central Idaho, you know what I mean.

On the days you can actually stand up straight, you end up with a kink in your neck. The days you don’t spend picking up branches and birds nests are “lovely” days, and when the wind drops below thirty miles-per-hour, some people spontaneously start singing, “Oh what a beautiful morning, Oh what a beautiful day…”

Still, spring in my part of Idaho is awesome. No matter where you drive, you’re bound to see something newborn, whether it’s a calf, or a foal, or a kid…baby goat for those of you who didn’t already know…puppies, kittens, you name it, a short drive anywhere in south-central Idaho guarantees you will see one or more of the above.

I guess that’s why I love spring so much. The frozen, barren, landscape of winter fades, and life bursts forth with meaning. The old year is left behind, and a new year begins. The cycle of life continues, the good, the bad, the ugly, the pretty, all have a cycle don’t they?

Spring reminds me no matter how hard life can be, there is always an awakening, a beginning we can go to, a burst of life we can find in the grey, lifeless, terrain around us.

And, if you’re lucky, a bull calf to help you mow your yard.