Elusive Springtime

FROM WHERE I SIT Elusive Springtime MARCH 16, 2013 Pat Spilseth




I smell the fresh scent of SPRING in the air. I’m imagining juicy green grass, newly sprouting, on my lawn, blue waves pounding the shoreline, and robins and bluebirds returning from sunny southern climes.



After all, isn’t the spring equinox March 20? There are two equinoxes every year – in March and September – when the sun shines directly on the equator and the length of day and night is nearly equal. Newspapers are calling reader to guess the date of our annual ICE OUT! Usually, there’s a prize to the best guesser.

Yes, it’s official; spring will definitely happen, eventually. Who hasn’t had enough of freezing sleet, snow banks, and endless flakes falling? I’m tired of looking outside my windows to dirty 12” snow banks, slippery sidewalks of ice, and speedy drivers crashing into each other. Then the sirens begin to wail, ambulances arrive, and stretchers appear, lawyers are called and law suits filed. Some people will do anything to make a buck!

I’ve had it with bulky, black, down overcoats, adding pounds to my body, stretchy wool hats, mittens, and rubber goulashes! Messy snow boots, crusty with sand and snow, litter the foyer of my house; coats, caps and scarves drape the bentwood hat rack standing in the hallway. The basket of furry slippers is next to the door, greeting guests as they arrive with wet boots.



I’m tired of hot soups, grilled cheese sandwiches, and tuna casseroles. I’ve eaten enough beef, pork, and turkey roasts to line my stomach for years. Cold winter weather brings on cravings for cookies, especially if the icy forces Buddy and me to stay inside. To combat the grayness of winter doldrums and isolation, I get out the butter, eggs, sugar and flour. I bake. I eat. I add unnecessary pounds to my aging body. But my spirits soar with a sugar high as smells from the oven waft into the rest of the house, drawing me into the kitchen for another cookie or two or three. Nothing can beat a gooey chocolate chip on gray days.



Most cross-country skiers, kids skating with their dogs, and fishermen in their cramped ice houses have left the lake empty of color and activity. But in a few short weeks, boats will roar through the lake channels and water skiers in wet suits will appear on the Bay. Para sailors will float in the skies with their colorful sails. As soon as the temperatures rise about 50 degrees, neighbors in canoes and kayaks will paddle past me as I sit on my deck reading. Everyone has been waiting for a eternity for springtime weather!



Grandkids will appear in my neighbor’s yard next door. Soon they’ll run to my house, looking for Buddy, my friendly Beagle and they’ll inquire what kind of cookies have I baked today. Then I’ll hear about Cooper’s new soccer and base ball teams, his batting average, and the cutie’s endless stream of girlfriends. After all, he is so handsome. Feminine Ellie will demonstrate her dance routine and kick a soccer ball to Ethan and Jackson who would rather play baseball and hope that Buddywill fetch their run-away balls.



Bikes will circle Casco Point as Dads bring out weathered docks to stretch out on the lake as soon as the ice clears. Pounding will commence: new roofs, decks, and new home construction has already begun. Spring cleaners will begin toting excess stuff to be stored in over-stuffed garages. Lawn furniture’s winter dirt and dust have to be sprayed with the garden hose; gardens must be tilled and seeds planted; lawns need fertilizer and an extra dose of moisture. Window washers will tote water buckets, rags, and spray cleaners to polish the glass and clean off spider webs left over from last fall. Homeowners will check on which chairs and boards needs a fresh coat of paint. Storm window will be removed and screens cleaned. Hanging baskets of flowers will appear on decks, and window boxes filled with geraniums and petunias will add a well-needed dose of vibrant color to life on the lake.



Spring clean up routine makes the season a busy time of year. But there’s a new sight and sound: along with the cardinals and nuthatches at my bird feeder outside the kitchen window, I hear a persistent loud woodpecker knocking at the redwood siding on our house. Those persistent ants are back! YUCK! Time to get out the ant poison, but careful, Buddy may think the poison is food, his endless obsession. At night I can hear the cries of raccoon babies prowling the trees in my yard looking for a hole to sleep; mice and moles will appear, and bunnies are hopping from shrubs to gardens in the neighborhood. Those elusive deer and coyotes that lurked in the park and marsh in my neighborhood will have added foliage to hide in as leaves appear on the maples, oaks and elms. It’s exciting to see deer run through our yards and dive into the lake to swim across the Bay to a more wooded area. They’re so fast and so beautiful.



Spring is almost here. Though I haven’t put away winter coats, sweaters and cords, I long for lighter clothing, bright colors, and getting the Adirondack chairs out onto the deck. Maybe I’ll pump up the bike’s tires, just in case the weekend’s promised warmth will allow a few spins around the neighborhood. 914