“Is the spring coming?” he said. “What is it like?”…
“It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine…”
~ Frances Hodgson Burnett, “The Secret Garden”

Spring is coming…

In just two weeks it will officially arrive.

The weather seems a little confused. At the end of last week, it was spring-like with temperatures well over 80 degrees on Saturday. Then on Sunday, the very next day, it was cold with a few sprinkles. In spite of a change-of-season disagreement, nature will keep on course. All the signs of impending spring are in place and there to enjoy.

With spring comes new life. We have a new baby girl (niece) in our family, Nell Love. She apparently didn’t check the calendar and arrived four weeks early. At 5 lbs., 6 oz., she is perfect. In spite of her birth date, in my book she is  a “spring baby.”

There is a defining moment once a year, a morning when the breeze carries a fragrance of  the season’s first blooming. Last Saturday was that day. I am now primed to observe nature’s flora and fauna, every change and detail. Not exactly weather related, but just as powerful as their transformations create spring.

The following as seen from our vantage point of the yard:

• Bright-green leaves appearing on the birch trees. It was only two months ago, when fall’s remnants were shed.

• Birds nosing (or beaking) around under the eaves, looking for the perfect nest site. Please, this year don’t choose the hanging basket on the front door.

• A lone coyote at dusk on our street, looking first for a drink and then maybe some dinner.

• Small lizards, butterflies, spiders and grasshoppers – the first of many critters to appear.

There is no turning back nature’s clock. Even so, we  have more winter weather coming.

According to the NWS: Cold and unsettled storm systems will define our weather into the weekend. A 90% chance of heavy, but brief, downpours late Thursday into Friday are predicted. Amounts quite variable. Snow levels may drop to 3,000 feet. Then, a rapid warm up comes early next week.

With change all around us, don’t forget your clock. On Sunday, March 10 at 2 a.m. it’s time to “spring forward” one hour.

Welcome to longer evenings of daylight!

Sue Kilpatrick is a
Crescenta Valley resident and
Official Skywarn Spotter for the
National Weather Service. Reach her at  suelkilpatrick@gmail.com.

  Sue KILPARTRICK