False Spring Hopes

This poor bloom doesn't stand a chance.  I guarantee winter will be back by next week.

It’s not quite Groundhog’s Day, but the weather today is already having everyone think about spring.  (For those not familiar with Groundhog’s Day, it’s an unofficial holiday in the United States where we pull a groundhog out of its burrow to determine if there are 6 or 8 more weeks of winter left.  A bit barbaric, and maybe not too smart since we’re disturbing a hibernating animal, but it’s done anyways.)  

It’s close to 60 degree F today, and while I was working in the garden this morning, I heard many others out and about.  The weather is odd here; one day it’s winter and I’m huddled before the heater, and the next day has me grabbing a rake and wanting to spend my time outside.  I’m weary though.  I’ve seen it before; the flowers start to bloom and bam!, winter comes backs bringing Siberian winds and blowing snow.  Those earlier blooms don’t even have a chance.  So, as we wait for the reality check that it is still technically January, I’ll take advantage of the weather and see if I can make that goal of getting the garden cleaned before Thanksgiving, Christmas, the end of winter.  I have a few more weeks, right?  

Promises Kept

There may still be snow on the mountain peaks, but spring is starting to show its promise. 

…enfin.

Spring

I don’t know what spring is like where you are, but here, in the south of France, it’s awesome, particularly this year.  This is the only time of the year when things are green.  Right now, the sun is shining, its 65 degrees (F), and the sky is an amazing blue.  The flowers are blooming, the trees are budding, and nature is a spectacle to see with its daily changes.  It is the type of weather that calls you to go outside.

I liked springtime in Chicago too, but here it seems more special because it could pass so quickly.  Summer can arrive in a flash and it brings with it its sweltering Mediterranean heat, which makes all that spring greenness fleeting.  This has made me appreciate spring more and look for things that make it significant.  I particularly like this flower; it’s a cyste.  It only grows in the Mediterranean climate and only lasts a short time.  Every spring, someone points one out to me as if it’s a marker for the season and why spring should be enjoyed.  It’s delicate, temporary, and will wilt away when the temperatures start to climb.  Like the cyste, spring could last a little longer, but if you expect it to be there later, you could be wrong, and then you would have missed out on its moment and will have to wait another year to enjoy it.