Day 326

4/7/23

Spring is finally here in Minnesota! I like to think we Minnesotans pay the price of winter for the glorious reward of spring! The snow is melting quickly and the grass is already greening up as the snow recedes. It is a miraculous thing to witness!

Asher, Lilly and Ranger joined me on a walk to the river today. We had to sidestep a few snow piles to get down to the shores, but it was worth the challenge. Lo and behold, the Rum River was totally open with no ice along the bank! The four of us gazed out as little ice chunks floated along in the current and talked about splashing our feet in that water in a couple of months! Even the Goldens refrained from dipping their paws in this early in the spring!

Ranger and Lilly had a field day with the smells of the season. Their noses were twitching this way and that as they caught the newness of the spring breeze. I wondered what amazing aromas their noses were greeting...ducks, fish, beavers or simply fresh air? Whatever it was, they were having an amazing time!

As we walked home, we greeted a number of neighbors who were out enjoying the day. Minnesotans tend to stay indoors during the winter months, but when the warm weather returns, we are right out there chatting with our friends and finding out what we have missed for the months we have been hibernating. It is a joyful reunion!

As a child, our neighborhood gang loved the season of spring! Out came the bikes, roller skates (with keys), hopscotch rocks and sidewalk chalk. The spring jackets were donned and often a bit shorter in the arms than they were the last time we wore them...we didn't care! We were just happy to be free to run and dream of the beautiful months ahead!

I am putting the shovels away and hiding the boots in the back of the closet for now! I am ever so hopeful that spring is REALLY here to stay! Ranger, Lilly, Gus and Sam don't worry about shovels and boots! They just seem to know that spring is arriving and that seems makes them extra happy!