Thawing, Emergence, and Reminders

The feelings and gifts of Fool's Spring in the north

The days felt damp and cold this past weekend as I spent them near the big lake. Even if I felt magic and beauty when snow fell unexpectedly in the sunlight while wandering the woods. Now, the winds are shifting from the south, and our mild temps are turning warm enough to make it feel and taste far more like spring. Though a warm-up this time of year is always typical, it feels like winter has never settled in here comfortably again this year. My skis have been hung back up for a bit, and I am instead finding my table laden with garden planning as the warm temps bring urgency to getting it all figured out and dreamt about.

On my daily walk, the chickadees and even a robin or two have become constant companions as the trails are filled with footprints of all who have been here. They remind me that even when I wander alone here, I am far from it. Stories are revealed in the melting of the snow layers that once filled the air and softened the lines of the hills and trees’ stark shapes. The pine’s bark is damp and smells of running sap and earthy warmth. I can feel the energy, but what reminds me it is still very much winter is that the maple tree trunks still hold snow near them. This indicates this is all just a thaw, a warm-up, or Fool’s Spring in the north.