Spring. My favorite season

I live in Michigan because I enjoy seasons. 

Well, that’s not entirely true. I live in Michigan because I was born and raised here. I stay in Michigan because I enjoy seasons. I could never really live anywhere the weather is the same all year long. 

Of course, if I could find someplace that was 65 degrees and sunny all year-'round, was surrounded by water, beaches, and had great internet access I would consider moving there. But since, to the best of my knowledge, no such place exists I will stick with Michigan.

We are entering my favorite time of year: spring. Spring in Michigan is a very special time: the green is returning, the weather which has recently been horrible is starting to warm and brighten. (This statement is always true since any given winter in Michigan was bound to have some horrible weather in it.) This is why I love having seasons. How special is it to be in spring when you have no winter to compare it to?

The mornings are warm enough to take coffee on the front porch, the evenings are cool enough to enjoy the back yard and possibly more coffee. There is almost nothing I enjoy more than sitting on the deck on a nice spring evening with a warm cup of caffeine and a good book. If you sit there long enough, are quiet enough, the city wildlife forgets you're there and returns to the yard. The rabbits and birds make a great experience even better.

These simple pleasures are the carrot at the end of the long stick that is winter. Don't get me wrong I enjoy winter, I like snow, I even enjoy the cold for a while. Winter is the carrot at the end of the long stick that is summer. In Michigan, we really only get three seasons, spring, summer, and winter. Autumn (fall) has mostly been absorbed into summer and winter with almost a knife-edge cut-over between the two.

As I stated in my last post, [A Hobbit's Life] I find myself being drawn to a hobbit-like existence. Well, if hobbits had high-speed internet access that is. The closest I can get to that is the quiet mornings and evenings of springtime (and autumn) in Michigan.

Once spring has really started and the snow goes away, I am going to make a real effort to spend more time enjoying friends and family. Share the wonderful spring evenings with them with dinner parties and game nights. Maybe there can be a little slice of hobbit life right here in the suburbs. If I may be allowed to quote Bilbo Baggins one last time: "If ever you are passing my way, don't wait to knock! Tea is at four, but any of you are welcome at any time!"

It occurs to me as I write this that the current temperature is 39 degrees (f) and it snowed some last night so spring while technically here, really isn't yet. I hope this isn't a trend that means Spring is going to go the way of Autumn and disappear entirely. That I would not like. at all. Hopefully, it's just that it is still early spring and this kind of thing is to be expected.