The electric green of spring is here! The grass has a neon glow about it and the fields of dandelions are vibrant in the bright spring sun. I'm one of the few people who actually like dandelions. My girls get so excited about them and I love it when they bring me huge bouquets of them. They don't care that the flowers wilt within 12 hours. The joy is in the bright yellow happiness of the flower itself. I love the color that they add to the yard. There is just something a bit too sterile about a large expanse of shorn down green. I don't think I could ever buy a house on a golf course.

I have found something besides a crocus! Not that there is anything wrong with crocus - I do love them. But, the every hardy violets are in bloom as well. I love violets. When the violets appear, you know that spring is here for good. They add happy little dots of color across the landscape if you know where to look for it. Sometimes you can miss them, but I always know where to find them. The lilacs are budding and will be out soon. That has to be one of my favorite smells. I could sit all day beneath a lilac bush and just enjoy the fragant calm that they bring.

I was fortunate enough to catch a lovely sunrise the other day. As summer approaches, the sunrises are coming quite early. The quietness of an early sunrise is a wonderful way to start the day. The birds that sing at this time of morning create a symphony of sound that is matchless. Unfortunately, none of them were posing for pictures today. I followed a woodpecker, but he was too high up in the tree to be seen clearly.

While away at a women's retreat this weekend, I got to spend some time in woods. I love the quiet stillness of being alone in the woods. The calm that it can bring to life is truly amazing. Especially in the morning when the air is cool and crisp. Spring air is the best air. It is certainly the eaisest to breathe and the most refreshing. I took some pictures at the River wood Inn in Otsego (the sunrise was there) and some in Dayton. There is something marvelous everywhere you go so get out and enjoy the spring air.

Spring has sprung!!! There are little green things popping up everywhere. Sometimes they are kind of hard to find, but they are there in their many forms. I"m always fascinated by the myriad of buds. There are so many different shapes and colors. When they start to open they look like little aliens. These crazy alien buds are on the elderberry in my yard. The red buds are from a maple at the nature center.

I also found a crocus. I love when the crocus appear. They are such hardy little flowers that you may sometimes see them even through the snow. They are determined to bloom no matter what. The tulips are just starting to make an appearance as well. I always look forward to the happy sight of blooming tulips. It's too bad they don't last very long.

A hike at the nature center revealed catkins of all sorts. The willows are flowering - though most people would never recognize these as flowers. It is important to remember that not all flowers have petals. They also don't always come in pastel colors. But, they are always interesting. It's amazing that they come in so many different shapes and sizes. Each one is perfect for a different kind of pollination. Some pollinate by wind, others by various insects. There are as many ways to pollinate a flower as there are flowers themselves.

I did also find a bit of the old. Last years grass stalks make a striking contrast to the new plant life surrounding us. They are very important though. Without them, we could not grow more grass. And, again, there are so many different kinds. Some in the marsh, some in the upland. You may look at it and just see grass, but each can be identified by the shape of the seed head.

It is the perfect time of year to take a hike. The weather is mild, there are no bugs and things change daily. There is new growth all around and animals coming out of hibernation. Listen for the frogs if you happen to be near a wetland area. Frogs sound like many things. Chorus frogs make the sound of a finger dragging over a comb, wood frogs quack like a duck and spring peepers sound like sleigh bells. If you hear something odd and you can't figure out what it could be, it's probably a frog.

Have a good hike!

The dichotomy of spring in Minnesota is astounding. Last Sunday, we had an unexpected snowfall. It was that beautiful, wet spring snow that makes everything look brand new. I was very sorry I did not have my camera as I was driving to church. I love spring snow. It is definitely not the same as winter snow. The Eskimos have no less than 13 words for snow. They should know. All snow is not created equal. And this particular snow was sticking to all of the trees and making everything sparkle. It was great. And then I saw the Linder's Garden Center shop set up in the parking lot of the strip mall near our house! It was all covered in snow, waiting expectantly for the day when people are ready to dig up their yards. Someday soon, the center will be stocked to overflowing with beautiful green things.

For now, we can enjoy tha adventure of spring. You just never know what you're going to get. Every day is different, so you need to be on your toes. Our driveway has filled up with chalk drawings the last couple of days and yesterday we were having fun at the park. Get out and see how many birds you can hear. They are quite active right now. The cardinals are in full voice and the chickadees are making their presence known. I think one pair of cardinals must have won the rights to my yard. I haven't seen any fights lately, so the other 2 pair must have moved onto another bird feeder.

So, take a deep breath. The air is fresh this time of year. You can smell the thawing dirt mixed with the scent of the water that will bring new life to the earth. Enjoy.

"It's bucket season!"

That was the cry of a very excited preschooler in one of my programs lately. It is indeed bucket season. That time of year when the forest starts to thaw out and the maple trees begin to come alive again. The time of year to make maple syrup.

This is my favorite time of year. The air is crisp and everything smells so earthy. I love that smell. It is so very fresh. Plus, I love maple syrup. What joy to go stomping through the woods looking for buckets full of sap. I love the anticipation of not knowing how much is going to be there. Are we going to be able to boil soon or not? Plus, I love to sit down in the sugar shack with a roaring fire and watch the sap bubble. I just know that something good is going to come from it all. I can't wait to taste it.

I think maple syrup programs are my favorite because of the excitement of the kids. They love to run from bucket to bucket to find the next surprise. If this one is empty, it's on to the next one. The run with wild abandon through the brush. Half the time they fall down because they aren't paying attention to where they are going. They are so focused on the next bucket and what might be there that what is beneath their feet is of no concern. So, sometimes we come out of the woods wet and muddy, but it is always certain that we had some fun.

I hear a lot of complaints about the weather this time of year. We get one warm day and everyone thinks it should stay that way. Well, this is Minnesota and that is just not the case. Spring is not all green grass and flowers blooming in perfect borders along the sidewalk. You would think that people who had lived in Minnesota for any length of time would understand that. Spring is unpredictable. I love that about spring. You never know if it's going to rain or snow or be sunny and clear. Personally, I prefer the snow. I love a good March storm. We haven't had one yet and I can't believe we are going to escape the month without one. Something must be brewing. Spring is what it is and I love it. It's exciting and adventurous. If you want every day to be the same, move to San Diego. If Spring were any different, there would be no maple syrup.

And then I would have to eat corn syrup on my pancakes. YUCK!

I love spring.

It smells good.

It makes me happy.

That about sums it up. More later when I get some good pics.

"The snow is all sparkly!" came the exclamation of an excited preschooler. Excited to be outside exploring the woods. No doubt she has been inside too much lately. Kids need to be outside. They need to stretch their legs and get a little crazy. They need to play in the sparkly snow.

It was a little chilly today, but the snow definitely sparkled. Go check it out. On a sunny day with icy snow, the ground looks like it's covered in diamonds. It actually shimmers. If I could creat snowflake beads, I would make myself some jewelry. There is nothing like it. You will notice that I don't have a picture. Not only do I not have my camera with me today, but that particular site is difficult to capture. You have to have just the right angle in just the right patch of sunlight. I'm afraid I can't find that with 20 preschoolers at my heels. But I love to listen to them delight in it. So, go outside and check out the snow. You'll see what I mean.

I saw a coyote yesterday! Very cool. We were watching it right out the window of the nature center looking out across the prairie. I had heard from others that they were around, but had never seen one. I certainly never expected to see one that close to the building. Unfortunately, no pictures. He was too far away and barely discernible with the binoculars. I guess I need some better binoculars.

I saw a coyote once in Chicago. Well, technically, it was Norridge, just outside of Chicago. It really surprised me. I've never thought of coyotes as urban animals. Suburban, certainly, but Norridge is completely residential. I saw this one in a cemetery. It was quite a large cemetary, but there isn't a lot of cover in a cemetary. I bet most of the neighbors don't even know there is a coyote among them. It's probably a good thing since they kind of get a bum rap. (The coyotes, not the neighbors.)

Coyotes are actually quite clever animals. Very shy and wanting to keep to themselves, they seem to be able to hide just about anywhere. You have to be pretty creative to survive in an urban cemetary, don't you think? True opportunists, a coyote can make his way anywhere he happens to be. Wouldn't it be nice if more people were like that? Instead of always wanting more of this and more of that and checking out what the neighbors have. If we could jsut be happy with what the good Lord has granted us, then we could just be happy. Profound, I know. But I didn't hear the coyote complaining that the mice were better out in the countryside and why couldn't he live there instead. He just did what he needed to do and let the world go by. I've been back through that cemetary several times on other visits there. I haven't seen him again, but I'm still hoping.