I know it’s only February, but signs of approaching spring are coming early this year. The photo is from my garden. The snowdrops planted beneath my mulberry tree are coming out into the sunshine already. As I sit here at my desk, I hear a song sparrow singing softly in the bush outside. He’s working through a fairly simple song at low volume, almost sotto voce. He sounds exactly like a singer warming up before going on stage. I think he’s warming up his spring song for when the warmer weather and breeding season truly arrive. I miss the birds’ songs so much in winter, I’m always delighted when I start to hear them call again. It’s not that the birds went anywhere– they’ve been there all along, only silent, waiting for warmer days to call their singing back.
I know I’ll still suffer at least a few more cold snaps. Some of our worst cold spells often come in March, when my resistance is low. But still, on a day like today, I can sit here and imagine that Spring is waiting outside my window, and if I lift my head I might see green leaves and flowers.
