Springing to Life

Change of season tickles the senses

Description can be a wonderful calming exercise, especially when stressed, maxed out at work but still need to tackle your editor’s note.

Honestly, is there a better season than spring to illuminate with its pops of color and sense of awakening after a long, dreary winter?

Well, here it goes... Foremost, spring’s visual cues are everywhere.

Shy for months, the sun now lingers for days at a time, reminding us of the sky’s brilliant shade of blue. On days when clouds return, winter’s gray blanket is replaced with white puffs obscuring the sun in a game of hide-and-seek, casting cool shadows on the lush landscape. If rain arrives, it comes fast and furious, producing soul-satisfying rainbows that pierce the dramatic clouds responsible for the beautiful ruckus.

On the ground, vibrant daffodils — yellow, orange, white — poke through thick blades of grass with pretty purple crocus crouched below. The vines show signs of life as brown buds start turning the palest shade of green, proof the growing season approaches.

Sounds fill the air. In the bordering trees, robins and starlings chatter about the season’s change. Inside the coop, our dozen new chicks, now tripled in size, chirp and cluck, awaiting slightly warmer weather to venture beyond their cozy quarters. Here and across the way, tractors and lawnmowers chug awake after months of inactivity. The dogs, full of energy, bark at the slightest noise, hoping the sounds mean guests — or Josh, our assistant winemaker — are making their way up the drive, with possible treats in tow.

Smells also signal a change in weather. The sweet aromas of freshly mown grass counter the smoky scents of the mile-high burn pile struggling to stay lit with its layers of moisture hiding inside the heap. After a sudden spring downpour — extinguishing the fire, once again — the smell of fresh rain and wet ash fills the air, yet we still take a deep breath because, it is spring.

We are so grateful for its arrival, on time and tickling all the senses.