The mighty Mississippi is flowing once again. The trees lining the river banks are growing new leaves; soon their bare branches will don a green coat. The lakes, which were frozen even a month ago, now have ducks swimming in them. Spring has given new life to fields, gardens and parks - the grasses glisten as the sun pours over them its blazing, yellow light.
The days are becoming longer – the sun now sets well past 8 o’clock. I enjoy the last few minutes of the daylight while I have my supper. The splash of red on the evening sky is a pleasure to the eyes. The sky reminds me of a blank canvass and the splashes of red an absent-minded artist’s strokes of a paintbrush.
As the school bus crosses the bridge over Mississippi, I stare in awe at the river, which was white and icy even a month ago. The trees on the Mississippi banks were leafless; they stood crooked, withstanding the biting cold. But Spring has given them a new life. Fresh leaves sprouting from the branches of deciduous trees will soon dress them in a zillion different shades of green.
Now that Spring is here, young people have brought out their bicycles, roller skates and skating boards. The children living in our apartment complex are once again playing outdoors, their voices fill the afternoon air, and their footsteps bring life to a quiet afternoon. In some afternoons, I hear someone dribbling a basketball on the complex court. It feels good; it feels so good that Spring is finally here.
The squirrels are also out of their nests. They have left their winter homes to bask in the Spring sun, to inhale the fresh air, and to enjoy the magnificence of a brand new season.
These days I wake up early in the morning, the sunlight slides through the window louvers and lands on my bedroom wall. I open my eyes and smile at the beauty that nature has given us in abundance. I remember the cold mornings and the grey skies of winter, and realize that the splendor of Spring would probably go unnoticed had the winter not been so harsh.
Yesterday, the Spring breeze caressed my face when I went out for an evening walk. The sky resembled a large piece of satin with spangles sewn here and there. I wished I could use the heavens as a wrap and walk a mile in bare feet.
The queen of all seasons is finally here, and I can’t help but welcome her. I can see her royal touch in everything around me - from the grasses on my backyard to the squirrel, which has left its winter nest to hail "Her Majesty the Season Spring."
Photo courtesy: http://www.foxandhoundtavern.com/spring.jpg
Photo courtesy: http://www.foxandhoundtavern.com/spring.jpg
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