Ah, spring….Such a lovely season. Flowers bloom in all their odoriferous glory, spreading good moods and pollen from eyes to nose. The itch can be unbearable for those exposed to the evil devil, pollen. Then, there are those lucky ones who never seem bothered by it. Those who are not immune to our insidious, sometimes invisible foe load up on antihistamines, eye drops, gobs of tissues, hazmat uniforms and then merrily (albeit drugged) tilt and stumble out into the world.

From year to year, I notice some of the little and not-so-little changes occurring with each season’s arrival and departure. Like most people, I’ve gotten used to the season’s changes seeming to follow somewhat expected behavior. Having lived where I do for over two decades, there are repetitive signals I’ve come to rely on, perhaps even foolishly depend on, to clarify the changes brought about by four distinct seasons.

One such event is the return of the Rufus hummingbirds. The Annas hummingbird has become a resident staying year-round for over a decade, enduring the harshest winters.

But, the annual arrival of the Rufus hummingbird is a hallmark for me as it marks the season changing from winter to spring. They arrive like clockwork sometime around the first week in March. The males arrive first, then the females a week or two later. It gets bustling at our feeders as they come here to nest and raise their broods before the Rufuses head south for the fall and winter, only waiting to repeat the same cycle the following year. There can be as many as twenty hummers, as we call them, buzzing around the feeders, especially early in the morning, at noon, and then again just before sunset.

Everyone has their favorite season. I prefer spring and summer to fall and winter, even though both have unique qualities and points of interest. For fall, two that stand out are the crisp cool air and the colors of the leaves as they reach their season’s end.

The sunrises and sunsets during the fall are phenomenal, as if the sky is bidding us a temporary farewell for the next several months and wants to leave us with a mind full of memories until it returns.

The cold of winter allows for time spent doing things indoors, like household chores. Such a bore! It is a better time to read a book or two. Winter also encourages the preparation of dishes, including soups, stews and sauces filled with rich delicacies. Their aromas that fill the house provide emotional comfort, but their consumption also aids in filling my clothes with a larger body.

If anyone knows anything about the weather, what stands out is no matter how thorough we are when studying and analyzing it - even with the advancement of our modern technological predicting tools - what happens is ultimately dependent on the weather itself. Still, I am witnessing changes I was not expecting and have had to acknowledge my smallness in the whole scheme of things.

Today the calendar says spring is here, and although I am eager, when I look out my window, knowing what time it will arrive remains unclear. Then I look closer, taking a moment to linger, and when I lean in with my ear, I hear the birds singing and see the tiny buds opening too. I observe the bright and joyful colors, and I know spring is beckoning and saying that all will soon be anew.

AHCHOO!

Bless you