As I write this column, I’m suffering from sleep deprivation. Overnight, our weather radio went off seven times to warn of possible dangerous weather. We are in close vicinity to two other counties, and we get alerts for all three. We would barely get back to sleep after an alert when another would come. It’s a sure sign spring is on the way.
Growing up, we had a small patch of Hyacinth my mom had planted. Mom wasn’t much on flowers, but she planted a few bulbs, and they continued to come up every spring for decades. The fragrance of the flowers was heavenly. If the breeze blew in just the right direction, the aroma from the Hyacinth would fill the house. It’s a memory that floods over me every spring.
Spring in the Ozarks is one of my favorite seasons. It’s not too hot or cold, and there is more daylight each day. Since I’m outside before dawn and after dark most days, I like to see the sun. I sit on the back porch steps to soak in as many rays as possible in the spring. Spring makes me feel better and helps to shake the winter blahs.
Many folks consider the “new year” to be Jan. 1, but for me, the new year kicks off when I see Mother Nature waking from a long winter slumber. The storms are her way of shaking off the cobwebs, and quick cold snaps are her hitting the snooze button. I’m a little grumpy when I wake up, so I can relate.
This time of year, livestock producers are crossing their fingers they have enough hay left to get to fresh grass. It’s also when all farmers and ranchers hope the rains continue falling in the summer and fall. It’s muddy now, but hopefully the rain will come when we really need it. We don’t need another dry year here in the Ozarks; I think last year was enough for a few years.
Canadian novelist L.M. Montgomery (Lucy Maud Montgomery) once wrote, “Nothing ever seems impossible in spring, you know.”
It’s like the whole world is a fresh, clean slate in spring. Spring is a time of optimism. When spring comes, many people start thinking about what a great year lies ahead. Things have to go just right the rest of the year, but spring makes it all seem possible.
As we go into the spring, think of the things that can go right this year; don’t think about what can go wrong. Spring is the time to be optimistic, so sit on the porch steps and soak in the sun. Let the rays of the season remind you that you have the best and most important job in the world and that rain or shine, the world depends on you.
Julie Turner-Crawford is a native of Dallas County, Mo., where she grew up on her family’s farm. She is a graduate of Missouri State University. To contact Julie, call 1-866-532-1960 or by email at [email protected].
