Chastin Martel
March has officially begun! It is the month when winter makes the transition to spring.
Spring begins on March 20. Although, with Alberta, it could snow at any given moment. Spring is a time when the air outside is more refreshing and everything in life seems so simple and pleasant. Birds returning home, animals coming out of hibernation, and more sunshine.
Why is spring a good season? Well, no insects (at least very little)! It was only recently (March 2), I saw a flying insect while driving. It looked as if it was a white moth. I was taken by surprise because March only just began.
The thought of mosquitoes returning for the warmer months sends shivers down my spine. But we’re not here to discuss mosquitoes, that’s a topic of its own.
My first memory of spring was when I lived in Valleyview, Alta. as a kid. I believe it was 2011 or 2012. The ground was damp but not wet, I was outside playing in our backyard with my sister. We would make up scenes of movies in our own and improvise them. It was quite silly. Life, as a kid, was simple and during spring it felt magical. I’m sure my sister would agree with this.
Perhaps the most known aspect of spring is the weather. Sometimes, unpredictable but mainly consistent. It’s cold at night but semi-warm during the afternoon. I never really appreciated the weather during this time when I was a teenager because I was often inside. As an adult, that perspective has changed. I appreciate it more.
I’m slowly waiting for the days to get longer as well and with that comes daylight savings. I never understood daylight savings. To this day, I don’t see the point. We lose an hour every time it comes around, but all we get from it is darkness. I come across online articles where people think we should remove daylight savings.
Although, it doesn’t affect me, I don’t think it’s a big deal. To me, daylight savings is making a resolution to a problem. You encounter a problem, you make a resolution. Lose an hour of sleep? Go to bed early the next day, problem solved!
As a kid, spring was green, trees were full of leaves, and flowers were blooming. I found this not true in reality. What a disappointment! In reality, snow is melting, and everything is wet. Let’s not forget the pools of water on the roads. I try my best to avoid driving in these pools of water. There could be a pothole.
Speaking of potholes, these are revealed after snow melts. A driver’s worst nightmare, hitting a pothole. Sometimes they can be avoided, other times, you clench your body and hope it didn’t bend your rim while driving over them. I can only imagine the cost to repair the damage. Let’s not put that energy into the universe.
Easter is associated with spring. The pastel colours match perfect with the season. The hype for Easter has gone down as I got older. This is because I got older and had focus on other matters in life. I suppose the extra chocolate and decorating eggs with the family is nice though. It still continues to be a widespread holiday in some parts of the world and I commend those who still celebrate it.
It’s not long before the ground finally dries up and grass begins to grow. I look forward to it.
Spring has sprung!