Reluctant

Spring has been extremely reluctant to come this year. Dwelling in the northlands on the shore of a huge lake, we don’t expect anything to happen when the calendar hits the spring equinox. We are realists.  But when Memorial Day has come and gone and the cherry trees have yet to bloom, our patience is taxed.

We began to sense trouble back in April when it was time for our flock of purple martins to return. For almost two decades, they have come punctually in mid-April to raise their families in our large martin apartment houses. A few scout birds were spotted last month, but they must have reported back that it wasn’t bug time here yet. Finally, last week, these lovely flocks arrived to occupy their houses. It was thrilling to look out at the fields across from our house and see over thirty birds swooping in the skies scooping up insects.

We are still waiting for the green leaves on our trees to fully open. When the first whisper of green appears on the trees, our spirits soar. This year that gauzy stage has lasted a long time, almost as if those tiny leaves tasted the air and decided to stay snuggled up in their buds until things improved. Our birch trees, always the last to leaf out, are more reluctant than ever to unfurl their greenery. Here is what they looked like last weekend.

A sure sign that spring is fully present is when the flowering trees all simultaneously burst into bloom. This glorious spectacle has always occurred in May… but not this year. June will be here before our flowering trees are covered with their pink and white blossoms. They better hurry up and get their act together. Summer is just around the corner.

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