We’re having spring in Pittsburgh.
April showers are pouring this morning. It’s almost sixty degrees and the chirping, singing birds are happy. Worms for breakfast?
Once after a rainstorm at Dad’s house, we walked out in the driveway. He glanced down at the rows of earthworms on the asphalt that had vacated the saturated yard and quipped, “Look, the worms are having a parade.”
He slayed me.
I used to love summer the most of the four seasons. I loved it from my Pennsylvania childhood, to a brief summer in Denver, and a couple of years in Ohio. Then I spent three years in Southern California and loved every slight change in every season. The following ten years in Montana brought me to love spring.
We had frequent false springs in my beloved adopted state. Spring in February was a huge fake. Warm weather in March could almost make me believe spring was coming. April storms were exciting and enticing—could spring not be coming? Then May, June, July and even one August day could bring a snow and I’d think? What the devil is this false weather?
Love a Pittsburgh Spring Season
Still … six months of winter brought me to my switch from a summer love to a spring one. Ah, for spring to chase the snow away.
Back in Pennsylvania and summer days laden with humidity, I’ve stuck (pun intended) with my love of spring. Cooler evenings, pleasant days, deep Montana-blue skies…what’s not to love?
Last year as a surprise, the man who would never bring me cut flowers, stuck bulbs in the earth without telling me. Up pop crocus, daffodils, and hyacinths in purple and yellow. He moves the bulbs around, so I never know where to look for their bright colors.
Spring Sleeping
Spring allows sleeping with windows open, sitting on deck-chairs eating Popsicles and reading each other the jokes on the sticks.
It is 1964 GTO rides that put smiles on the faces of the people we pass.
Spring brings more sun to Pittsburgh, keeping the crystal hanging on my office window shooting a full of a prism of colors around the room.
This weather lightens me, gives me energy, and puts me in, “get it done,” gear—whatever it may be.
What does spring do for you?
**
Read: Far away places?
Well…I decided to brave it and slide on my short unlined black shiny boots with 3 inch heals, a pair of skinny jeans and a T shirt. What was I thinking!! I no longer can see the mountain from my office window, our big blue sky has turned into a big white mass with crazy snow pelting the ground. Really…my hair even looked good for a minute this morning! No there is no earthworm parade cuz they are smarter then I and are not coming out of the shelter of the ground below to risk becoming frozen worm popsicles that no trout in their right mind would want to eat! Oh yea I have spring fever all right…chilled to the bone. My umbrella is even trimmed with fur! On the bright side LeCoi’s rose bush is growing like crazy…inside the house. No matter the snow we know that sometime in the next 45 days we will have spring. I think I will get my toe’s done and tease my flip flops!
Love you.
HQ
Frozen worm popsicles? OMG that is a great bit of imagery, HQ.
I hope that spring gets to you soon. At this very moment, we are having a huge thunderstorm–lightning, thunder–the whole shebang. The birds will make easy work of the worms in the morning!
Spring is nice but autumn is my favorite season. I’m glad I live in a climate with seasons; I’d miss not experiencing them.
I love the colors of autumn and the way the air can be warm and then brisk…
Fall is a lot like spring here….it can go right from winter to summer and then it can go from summer to winter…spring and fall are very brief. I do miss the fall colors of PA. In MT the colors are yellow because of the Aspen trees and then there are some bushes that turn red.
I will gather more autumn leaves for you anytime you want–they are so gorgeous!
And spring finally arriving in Pittsburgh (I counted three days in a row that had sunshine at some point) means the open windows and bird song keep me smiling! Not to mention that when it reaches 70+ I can take my parrot out to soak in some sunshine, ever watchful for marauding hawks.
Thanks Rose for getting us thinking about and articulating Spring!
The hawks around here are amazing. I had no idea we had them! Keep the parrot safe when you air him out. ha! Three days in a row for us is a big deal!
That is one thing about MT – the blue skies and sunny days far outnumber cloudy and overcast!
Ah, yes…I love when we get one of those Montana-sky days here.
I am the one who still lives in Montana. Spring brings all of those feelings to me but also a lot of frustration. Last weekend husband and I were able to fertilize the garden, rake leaves left over from last fall, fertilize the lawn and clean out flower beds…and then it snowed 7″. Perfect timing for all that great moisture to soak in but I am SO done with seeing the white stuff. It also went from 60 degrees to 8 degrees…ouch. But spring does get me in the growing mode. I’ve planted my little seeds and they have sprouted into seedlings…yes, they are in my upstairs under lights…too cold for the fragile things to be outside. Yesterday husband and I spent the day in Billings and I got to go to Lowes and Home Depot and look at plants and pots and lawn care products and my dream machine, the D100 John Deere lawn mower. Spring makes me happy, whenever it arrives.
Ah, the ups and downs of weather in MT. That is one of the things I don’t miss about living there.
Mostly I miss you.
Then the mountains and the friendly people and the beauty and diversity…the food, the friendships, the openness.
I drool in Home Depot–the plants are so great!