It’s tulip time – perhaps in the temperate Skagit Valley of Washington, or in the states to the south of me. But in Minnesota the ground has just thawed and there hasn’t been enough warmth for any bulbs to force through the still cool soil. Yet with the help of a nearby florist, we can enjoy the scents and colors of the spring to come. These tulips have brightened my world every day this past week and given me the promise of spring – perhaps just around the corner.
spring
Hope
Webster’s dictionary defines hope as wanting something to happen or be true. So it is with spring this year. We “hope” for sunshine, warmer temperatures, the bright colors of flowers. We “hope” that the passing days bring longer hours of sunshine. And yet Mother Nature has alternative plans. This week we rode a roller coaster through snow and strong winds, rain, and the promise of warmer air. Through it all we strive to embrace what it is, just as these runners ran through a deserted Como Park having the trails and snow to themselves in this once-again wintry landscape.
A quick fix for winter’s doldrums
We’re languishing still in winter – short days, colder than normal temperatures, gray skies, brown ground. This beautiful splash of purple iris caught my eye at the store last week. Flowers! Color! Spring! – all in one compact bouquet. It was an instant “shot” of what I needed. The promise of spring is still ahead; yes, there will be blue skies, sunshine, the scents of spring, and the colors of flowers – somewhere ahead of the snow expected later today.
An early thaw
Temps in the 40’s? That certainly means an early thaw in Minnesota, along with dreams and wishes for an early spring. I took advantage of the sunshine to take a walk around Como Lake. Along with many like-minded people who were soaking up this bit of warmth, the walking path and bike trail around the lake had everyone dodging puddles. The lake was open near the northern shoreline, allowing the ducks to come and go. In another area the ice held standing water to offer a second reflection of the winter trees. We know winter is not over, and there will most likely be more snowfalls, but for this day it was a welcome glimpse of spring to come.
Bright colors to help offset winter
In the doldrums of winter, sometimes the best antidote for this cold season is a splash of color. I was rewarded with just that at the McNeely Conservatory in Como Park this morning. The narcissus and Asiatic lilies were a profusion of bright colors, with an extra bonus of scent and smell. A few hours amongst the pink azaleas and cyclamen was a wonderful way to reset the dark of winter and look forward to longer and brighter days ahead.
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