Every day, we witness more signs of Spring arriving, slowly, in West Michigan.

March 20th 2011 will mark our Spring Solstice, and when I wake up tomorrow, we'll have less than three weeks to Spring. March 17th is Saint Patricks day this year, so that will fall upon a Thursday of the week following next week. I remember many foggy, soggy Saint Patrick's days, and with any luck, we'll have another one this year. I love that kind of weather, not unlike fair November weather, when we have a cheery sun that can't muster up enough power to sunburn. I like the look of our fields, the prairie weeds dry and beat down from the snow, the timothy grass making an appearance through the dead strands. The burdock burs are readiest then to catch a ride on your dog or upon your woolly coat. I know it's not good practice, but many farmers still burn their fields to clear all of that dead grass, but I think it's playing with fire on a big scale. I haven't seen anyone burn their fields lately, come to think of it.

 

The lakes have shelves of ice, and I'm betting the ducks love having a shelf to climb upon after swimming in the cold water for food. I wouldn't trust the ice anymore. It is no longer clear and has a surface of slush. I wonder if a cold snap will restore the solid overall sheet once or twice before the nights stay above freezing. I haven't gone to Lake Muskegon to look for Coots, but I will tomorrow, looking for open ice at the Grand Trunk Docks near Great Lakes Marina.

 

Last evening, I sat in my living room and enjoyed slants of sunshine cast upon the carpet, and when I awoke from a short snooze, I believed I saw an evening glow arising over the treeline, sunlight reflected up from the Lake Michigan surface. While driving from Whitehall Sunday night, I smelled a whiff of skunk, one of the first in a parade of scents waking up for the year. Now if I could have a clear nose without assistance of a netti pot or decongestant.

 

I'll keep you posted as I note new signs of spring, and I look forward to your announcements. I am happy that we have paid for spring and summer almost in full, and we can look forward to mysteries that arise from later nights, sultry evenings and more places to roam, visit, love.