Monday, February 21, 2011

could it be? spring fever?

The past week and a half I've been feeling the intense desire to look out the windows or at the landscape in front of me as I walk around outside and see GREEN. Lots and lots of lush, vibrant green. The excitement of seeing the earlier signs of spring, bulbs pushing up, the spring-blooming redbuds and dogwoods budding ( but not yet blooming), Salina shedding, equines chewing on trees, and the Mystical Kit losing his winter mane mats, are giving over to a cell-deep feeling of impatience and agitation.

I've been walking around overwhelmed with all the things that need doing this time of year. Getting fields and beds cleared and groomed. Keeping track of equines who are shedding and not yet shedding and getting white butt cheeks on warm days. Seeing all the maintenance chores that need to be done in a "new light." Starting seeds. Moving the indoor plants out to the front porch for the spring/summer.

For me, the surest sign that I am managing an acute case of spring fever is when I start feeling driven to do things like clean closets. Usually it just takes one or two to cure me, but this year I have so many other things going on: books to promote and write, a young Corgi who is so furry I am realizing we are probably going to have to have him clipped for summer (he is what is called a "fluffy" Corgi - and we were not prepared for this level of coat care - I've never seen anything like it), monitoring all the different needs of all the animals in the family, getting the sandplay garret back into gear for new clients, etc., etc.

This weekend I found myself washing window sills and curtains in the living room. It's only a step away from that to closets, but instead, this beautiful morning, I'm going to feed breakfast and listen to birds and muck some manure.

Interestingly, our drying out and warming up and getting a large dose of wind, all the things I hoped for a month ago, have put us in the middle of a huge threat of wildfires. There are numerous fires burning in our region, and each day for the past four or five days there are tallies of how many more fires have started. So now the mud is gone, but I'm watching for sparks, and smoke, and hoping we get a day of rain to wet things down a bit.

But Saturday I saw the first butterfly, and although I haven't seen one yet, I suspect the carpenter bees are next line. There's something about waiting for the next season to fully arrive that pulls us forward. Keeps us watching and waiting and going.

It amazes me that the things we dislike about each season are the same things that make us look forward to the next one. It's a cycle, and it's how we mark time in our lives, outside of clocks and watches and appointments and places we have to be and things we have to do.

14 comments:

Calm, Forward, Straight said...

Spotted the first robin's red breast today - it's almost balmy here - but only for today I hear.

I've got the distracting spring fever cleaning urge too! Trying to prioritize ;)

Grey Horse Matters said...

I'm looking forward to when the clock and weather turn the cycle to Spring. We got a short teaser last Friday of 60 degree temps followed by a weekend of 60 mph winds and temps in the single digits overnight. Last night it snowed. It seems just as I was getting excited to see a small patch of grass it was soon recovered in white.

The spring cleaning bug hasn't quite hit here yet but maybe I should get started now anyway. This way when we do get a warm day we can go outside and enjoy the horses.

Your little Corgi sounds too adorable being so fluffy. Hope you do get some rain to thwart the wildfires.

billie said...

C, it's really fun to see the signs of spring, even if one of them IS my desire to clean closets. :)

billie said...

Arlene, isn't it crazy? When it's cold and I could be busy cleaning out closets all I want to do is curl up and read. Now that it's warm and dry, I feel the need to open up all the dark crowded spaces inside the house and get them clear!

Matthew said...

When spring arrives, it comes quickly here!

billie said...

Apparently so!!

ponymaid said...

billie, green - are you sure, green? It's not just the last of the winter fever having it's a little fun with you? A butterfly, too? I felt quite dizzy reading that. Herself is shifting into cleaning mode although doing everything with gloves on is hampering her somewhat. Have you tried one of the donkey dust baths yet? I think those are closely related to the sand box devices - quite cathartic.

billie said...

Sheaffer, it was much cooler today but still not back to winter. I was out raking today and those dust baths are quite appealing.

jane said...

So ready for spring. Even the closet cleaning. I had to laugh. I was eyeing the sheers yesterday thinking, hmmm, maybe time to wash them?

Hope it comes quick and lasts long!

Máire said...

I love Spring, and, as you suggest, maybe we need to have the hardships of winter to enhance our appreciation of Spring.

billie said...

Jane, I have been eyeing baseboards, which is the peak of my malady.

billie said...

Maire, I don't think I've noticed it so clearly until we moved to our farm, but there is something about getting in out in all the seasons and really feeling the good parts and the bad that gives an insight into how each season has its appeals - and then its difficulties - and all of it seems to braid together to pull us forward through the year.

Matthew said...

There are hundreds of robins flying around here at work. Beautiful! (although they did perch on a tree above my car and gave it a shower of robin droppings. . .)

billie said...

Today I am watching horses marching around finding niblets of green grass, which definitely makes me think we are on our way into spring.