Color and Song of Spring

KD Chicken Ranch

Gone is winter browns, and visible around us is green of every imaginable shade. I am amazed by the many variations of green that fill the woods , lawns, and fields. Darker green hues upon the pines and fertile grasses, are highlighted by the yellow/green of new leaves on the trees and bushes.  The fruit trees are magnificently brushed in their own contributing tints. Pinks, dusty rose, and whites abound as their blossoms burst forth with the promise of cherries, apples, and crab apples to come. The Forsythia has exploded in yellow blooms, while the red bud trees are flush with red along their branches. The wonderful canvas of spring is being saturated with color here at the Chicken Ranch.

Golden Rod plates some fields with the color of its name and, along with the tiny purple flowers of the pesky ground ivy, tries to show off its weedy good side. Tulips, daffodils, and crocuses were among the first to present their offerings as they rose to cheer the winter weary soil. All around now though, the birth of a new season is evident against the azure sky. Columbine, Petunias, Nemecia and much more bring their offering of Spring greetings. Man and animal alike are in celebration of winters pass, and springs march toward summer.

The recent heavy rains have flooded many streams and rivers; in stark contrast to last years’ drought like conditions in places. Ponds and lakes, which were down by as much as eight feet, are nearly bank full. Fish cruise the sparkling water over areas where one could walk last summer. There will be no intrusion into their habitat this year. Fishing will be from the shore line again. The warm weather has me and my grandsons putting new lines on the reels, and readying for a summer of lures and baits in the water.

The air is cool at night but not uncomfortably so. The warm temperatures make evening back porch sitting a pleasure again. Watching the orange sun soften into the horizon, as day melts into night, is one of life’s simple pleasures. The quiet, nearly imperceptible decent quiets the cacophony of daytime and ushers in the gentleness of evening. The bees go to bed, and the owl raises his head, in  natures changing of the guard.

One recent night Patty called me to the back porch to listen to the tree frogs. The songs of the mate seeking peepers were audible even before I reached the back door. The singing was a chorus of chirps and shrills, of highs and lows. I sat down in my rocker to hear the night air filled with a blend of song that is as ancient as time. Occasionally a  solitary night bird could be heard trying to add  to the music, but this was the night of the tree frogs, and it bowed to the amphibious chorus.

It is a happy thing to feel the mild wind upon your skin these days.  A mans’ day is brighter when the sun is. His attitude is loftier when the sky is blue, and the clouds are non-threatening.  How can you not have a spring in your step when Spring is in the air. From the honey bees to the leafing trees, from the songs of the night to the long daylight, the happy evidence of spring abounds. The seasonal canvas is being painted, and it is rich with the colors of spring... and hints of the summer to come.