Spring Has Sprung

I am not sure who coined this term: Spring has Sprung but it continues with The Grass is ris,' I wonder where the flowers is. It rhymes, sort of, and it questions. It has been years since I first heard this Springtime tidbit.

Spring varies considerably. I remember so well leaving California (Berkeley) with my family for a three-year stint in Stockholm, Sweden. On the way we stopped in the Netherlands. It was late March and everything was beautiful: tulips in all their glory, green grass, sunny skies. So unlike Minnesota where we also lingered for a day or two en route.

Recently (March again) we visited relatives in Green Valley (Tucson area) only to be saddened by the devastation which occurred when the temperature lingered at 18 degrees above zero for two nights in February. Almost unheard of in that part of the country. It was sad to see magnificent cactus plants drooping so pathetically. Phoenix we thought had not suffered as badly.

The adage that April Showers bring May Flowers is true perhaps for the Midwest but not for Arizona or Hawaii. There it can be notched up a bit. But then, in Michigan, with some snow still lingering in Mid March, crocus plants are pushing upward and will welcome a snow blanket should snow arrive as it often does in late March.

True, weather certainly has a personality. At times it is downright nasty, plays havoc with the experts while it sends it rain and snow just when it is needed. As I write this, Japan is still reeling from Mother Nature's upheaval while some of our friends are finally luxuriating in a balmy Florida.

We mortals plant too early or too late. We wobble on unsteady ladders removing snow and ice from our roofs wishing for a warm shower or two. We flee to better climates only to be forced to purchase a warm pair of sweats. We head for the mountains with our skis only to be met by barren hills. Since the weather can be so fickle, it does have a way of creating senior moments, some lovely, others not so. We depend so much on the weather—and on our hopes, dreams and attitudes, don't we?