There’s nothing quite like springtime in the parks. The cold ground softens under warm rains. You can smell the rich earth. A faint green haze tints the woods and fields. Day after day, that haze intensifies until trees and bushes and grasses and flowers have all unfurled their leaves.
Songbirds return. They dart in and out of verdant camouflage. Every now and then, we get a clear view of a tiny song sparrow or warbler perched on a branch, heart so full of song that he tips his head back and fills the air with his joyful tune. On the banks of the waterways, families of ducks and geese gather. Watchful parents herd their fluffy little babes into the water as we approach. Stately great blue herons fish among the lily pads. Busy muskrats and beavers carry grass and twigs to line their dens. Eagles glide overhead.
Golden sunshine streams down. A chorus of frogs croaks from every pool and puddle. Logs glisten with the shiny shells of basking turtles. Snakes sun themselves on rocks and on the trails.
Every year, we are overjoyed to see life returning to our favorite spots. We stalk the trails with camera and binoculars, pointing excitedly when we spot a green heron, hopping along with mohawk on display. Or a trumpeter swan pull her long neck out of the water to stare. Nature is bursting with life and promise and we wake each day excited to see what treasures she will share with us.
