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Spring has sprung! And the joys of life go unsung
(May 1, 2009) -- Ah Spring ...
Daylight Saving Time, though arriving in Winter now, adds that extra hour of daylight to the day as Spring unfurls.
The deciduous trees shed Winter's naked look and take on Spring's lovely mantle of green.
The dreaded pine pollen coats everything -- from the chairs and tables on the deck to the vehicles parked in the driveway -- with a cruddy yellow. And, aggravates the allergies and reactivates the sinus woes suffered during Winter. Achoo! Achoo! Achoo!
Chattering birds herald Spring's majesty. Filled bird feeders lure wrens, doves, robins, cardinals, a blackbird or two grazing in the high clover, and those pesky bluejays. The melodious tweetering heralds the arrival of warmer temperatures and starts each new day with a song-filled morning -- unless you're trying to sleep in.
The squirrels, tired of all those dried out acorns gathered for the Winter season, scurry about in search of fresh food -- or raid unprotected bird feeders. Mr. and Mrs. Jackrabbit emerge from their underbrush nest, sniff the air for predators, then hippity-hop across the lawn in search of greener pastures.
The blacksnake keeps the voles at bay; perhaps the copperhead, too.
Tomato plants occupy two pots on the deck; so do pepper plants (soon to be red, yellow and green choices) and the green onions. Sping's rainshowers help them grow but after the rain goes away turning on the faucet and watering everything becomes a late evening, daily chore. Maybe the lettuce will be planted later and nurtured for salads and sandwich accompaniments.
And then there is the yardwork. Bushes that were ignored in Autumn now have to be trimmed. The thorny vines trying to envelop the house need to be severed deep into the ground soil; and the azaleas, holly bushes and hedges need to be leveled -- so we can see the house again. A little weed-eating here and there after the front and side yards (and the Lower 40) have been mowed by our favorite landscaper makes the place look livable -- maybe even a candidate for "Yard of the Week." Nahhhhhhh!
nbsp; Television fare dwells on season finales. Of course I'm interested in "NCIS," "CSI," "The Mentalist," "CSI: New York," "Without a Trace," "Bones" and "Castle." Perhaps a good series cliffhanger will assure my return come Fall season.
Movie theater fare offers a schedule right into July filled with blockbusters, or so the producers and distributors hope. Anticipation abounds for J.J. Abram's "Star Trek, Ron Howard's "Angels and Demons," a James Cameron-less "Termintaor Salvation" and Johnny Depp in "Public Enemies." I'm not excited with the next chapter of the "X-Men", "Transformers," "Ice Age" or "Night at the Museum"; and I'm not thrilled about the remake of "Taking Pelham 123." I haven't read any buzz on Julia Roberts' next outing, "Fireflies in the Garden." I've seen previews of Quentin Tarantino's "Inglorious Basterds" with Brad Pitt and was not impressed. I'm not a Harry Potter fan, but I bet the younger set is all hepped up with the forthcoming "Half-Blood Prince."
Ah Fall ... oh, wait. I've got four months before thinking about falling leaves and more yardwork.
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