Happy Spring!!

The year's at the spring
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hillside's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven -
All's right with the world!
~Robert Browning

Thanks to our neighbors, the Boones, the edge of our woods is a beautiful spring garden!

     I love spring!  Usually it arrives after a long and tiresome, gray and cold winter. There are days above freezing when snow and ice melt followed by a few more sunny days that are ever warmer until finally the bulbs appear, the flowering shrubs burst into bloom.

     Not this year. 2012 is The Year Without A Winter, at least in Indiana. We had virtually no snowfall at all, few truly cold days below freezing. And spring has burst upon us with warm, sunny days that have forced the bulbs and shrubs into very early blooms. The birds are singing, the world is a beautiful place right now.

     Part of me is troubled by this. Reports of global warming make me uneasy. I have heard we will pay for an early spring with a long, dry and very hot summer. Draught is never fun and can be scary... And I also can remember late spring ice storms and snows that ruined all the spring flowers.

     The latest forecast is for at least a week more of very warm weather, sometimes some rain, but always warm. Last night we sat on our deck and admired the flowering shrubs (forsythia and star magnolia) in our own yard while listening to the neighbor's children play outside until sunset.  We slept with our bedroom windows open and I was awakened this morning by the songs of the birds. And it occurred to me that every day is a gift from God. Spring is one of His best gifts, I think. Who am I to argue with that? So, while not discounting the environmental issues, I am going to thoroughly enjoy this early spring!!

This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

~ Psalm 118:24

Oh yes, and Happy St. Patrick's Day to all!!!