Cold Spring

This may come as a surprise, but I've noticed through careful observation that spring in New England and spring in North Carolina are different. All my friends are posting on facebook about the pollen. I remember the feeling in the air when you come outside one morning and the air is suddenly softer, and the smell of dirt is in the air. In New England, the calendar says spring, but this morning we woke to a dusting of snow. It will be another month before I plant anything, and when I do, I'll keep a close eye on the low temperatures. No buds on the trees, the tulips have just barely begun to poke leaves above ground. I haven't seen a daffodil yet. The birds are traveling in packs and my feeder has suddenly gotten quite popular. The ice has melted off the pond. Spring in New England is not its most beautiful season. It's wet and muddy. The weather isn't reliably warm until mid-May or even June (and then sometimes it goes straight from cold and wet to hot and sunny). It makes up for it the rest of the time though. Autumn in Boston is beautiful, and I like winter here better. It may be cold, but it feels right.