Spring Finds the Northlands

 

The First Robin

Yes, I am writing about spring... again. Spring and it's not so eagerly welcomed cousin "mud season" are a constant subject of conversation here in the Northlands. Contrary to the name of the season, it does not "spring" upon us here, as perhaps it does elsewhere. It is often slow to arrive, with many eagerly awaited signs and almost as many grudgingly acknowledged spring snow and ice storms. But eventually the earth gives up its white blanket, the rivers and streams become liquid and one sees the first robin. Somewhere in there, pussy willows open their catkins which then produce the first bits of pollen for the early insects. And, much more quickly than most of us expect, they will be followed by dandelions, which the bees love, so please leave them.... be... for the bees... for a bit.

The arrival of visible spring weather and signs, even here in the far north, is often associated with the Easter holiday. This happens much less often than many folks might like, as both Easter and Spring's arrival are essentially "movable holidays," and only when Easter is at the end of its possible date range and we Northlanders are having an unusually early spring, are we likely to have anything like thawed ground for that popular bunny to hop upon. So while my Christian neighbors hopefully don their spring-type Sunday best as they head off to the sunrise service tomorrow (sunrise just after 6 AM, temperature prediction 24 degrees F) my acknowledgement of the holiday will be as a second (you can see it from here!) celebration of an earth-centered liturgical calendar day called Spring Finding.

And find it I shall, as I set out a bit of sugar water in the proto-forest in an attempt to capture wild yeast for eventual baking, walking there on actual earth, not icy snow. It is, even, just beginning to thaw.

To those of you who celebrate Easter, may your day be truly blessed, as I hope Passover, just past, was for my readers who walk that path. Me, well my nod to tradition was to pick up a chocolate bunny when I was out and about with a friend today. She bought some real chicks to add to her flock. I decided to act a bit like an adult and bought a high end chocolate bunny. But I will still eat the ears first.