It’s been a bad week in the world and it’s hard not to get depressed. But let us not miss the wonder that is the traditional first day of Spring, this Sunday, March 20. I know not all of you have seen it yet, but here in sunny California the signs abound. Shadows are getting shorter. Leaves are popping from half-dead branches. And there is a subtle change in the light’s temperature.
Today’s images come from a booklet for children called “The Basic Science Education Series, Spring is Here,” written by Bertha Morris Parker and published by Row, Peterson, and Company of Evanston, Illinois. The copyright is 1948-1955, so I assume the art is from 1948 and that subsequent editions were essentially reprints. Click on any image for a larger view.
Spring is a wonderful time. Flowers open, tadpoles swim, gardens grow.
But Spring is also a time of surprise and unpredictability. It looks warm enough for just a shirt, but you’ll really need a sweater.
The great thing about Spring is that while you may have a few setbacks, you know it’s only going to get better day after day. Soon the birds will be singing, the pussy willows will be blooming, and small animals will appear out of nowhere.
It’s time to fly a kite, dress up for Easter, or take a stroll in the woods.
Sometimes you have to look pretty hard for signs of Spring; for example, the view from my office is of a parking lot with an airport in the background. But I do see the occasional bird, and even in the worst of office-park landscaping you can tell it’s Spring by observing the plants. And the shadows.
I love Spring for all the reasons shown here and more. My birthday is in the Spring and I love the garden, so Spring is the most exciting time. Last evening I went on a walk for the first time in months.
I know it might be hard to focus on shortening shadows and pussy willows given everything that’s going on in the world this week. But spring is a time of renewal and birth and reminds us that things can and will get better.
Follow Gene on Twitter: https://twitter.com/SAWG
This article was last modified on May 15, 2023
This article was first published on March 18, 2011
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