Caught by Surprise

Spring came up on me like a creeper this year. Somehow it seems to have arrived out of nowhere, and I am not ready for it. This weekend, I’ve been in Maryland, and spring has definitely come to town down here, much more than at home. I couldn’t resist taking a few pictures.

First, there were the daffodils, right outside my mom’s door and along the walk I took this afternoon. They’re always so showy, a sure announcement of spring.

For me, however, the true harbinger of the season, the proof that we are casting off winter’s mantle, are the forsythia. I grew up in upstate New York, and our winters were long and solid. The arrival of forsythia was like a shout of joy. Even though I no longer live in a place that gets truly snowy, I still look for forsythia to really mark the start of spring.

Today’s walk gave me a couple of surprise bonuses. First, the magnolia’s down the road from my mom’s house are blooming. While it’s true that this feels way too early for their thick-petalled fabulousness, I can’t resist how much seeing them pleases me. They take me back to my freshman year in college and all the good memories that fill up that time. I had a huge magnolia, the first I’d ever seen, growing outside my dorm window, and it fascinated me.

And finally, in addition to sharing this walk with Fox (my sister, and no, no pictures because that is not her way), we had a companion for a bit of our journey when we were on our way home.

And that was my little mid-Atlantic stroll for today. I’m still a little weirded out that spring has arrived behind my back. The nerve! How are you adjusting to the changing of the seasons? Has spring well and truly arrived where you live? What are your favorite harbingers of the season? And are there any things you’ll miss about winter?

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