spring in name only

march 1st is the beginning of meteorological spring.  march 21st (the vernal equinox) is the beginning of astronomical spring. but if you live in the north, both of these dates are “spring” in name only. our spring arrives in late april if we are lucky, but early may is more realistic. in may, the woodlands are dotted with over 20 varieties of woodland wildflowers, the fiddleheads are unfurling, and leaf buds are bursting open. march and april are something else entirely. in march and april we get “signs of spring”; the red osier dogwoods turn scarlet and the willows turn golden yellow (triggered by daylight), the migrating birds start returning (sparrows first), maple sap start running, pussy willow softly explodes, and many mammals begin their mating antics. these are all exciting harbingers of coming warm weather, but here in the north the lakes are still frozen over and the snowpack is still knee deep. it’s slushy, damp, and still quite cold. so, for many critters, this is still a time of hunger. these squirrel chewed black walnut husks show a determination for finding sustenance that i find both heartbreaking and inspiring. clearly, the caloric energy gained has to be higher than the energy expended to get the prize, or they wouldn’t do it. but i’m guessing it’s a pretty small difference. We are all winter weary, but signs of spring are everywhere.

black walnut shells chewed by squirrels