Notes on Spring, A Great Season

NOTES ON SPRING, A GREAT SEASON

    When I was in college, you knew it was spring because,  at least my freshman year, there was mud. That was cuz there was construction and we had to walk on “pallets” as our makeshift walkways. And so, some bright person put a cut saying on her dorm door:

                       SPRING HAS SPRUNG

                            THE MUD HAS RIZ

                                i WONDER WHERE THE SIDEWALK IS!

 

    Spring is the time to get out on your bicycle and fly a kite- at least it was that way when I was a kid. Kids today spend too much time inside and not enough being outside and learning about Mother Nature.

DID YOU KNOW: 

 

  According to dictionary.com, centuries ago March to June was referred to as lent, from the Olde English for “lengten,” which meant to make greater in length. In the 1300s the term lent was replaced by “Spring,” to represent the time of year after winter, a time of new growth, when things “spring” forth.

   

   Spring is the time frogs and bees start making their appearance again. Revivebee.com says bees, unlike people, can see in ultraviolet light, which helps them find certain floral or “nectar guides” on flowers, leading them to the center of the flower where the nectar is. Their antennae are also smell receptors to also help locate flowers and distinguish between different bees they encounter.

    

   So bees help flowers and vice versa. Flowers produce a nectar that gives bees energy, the extra going into a so-called honey stomach. And they have “baskets” on their legs to collect pollen, which actually provides them with protein and fats. By moving around in the flower the bee helps transfer male material to female, for ultimate fertilization and fruit making. It is a very symbiotic relationship, for sure.

   

   This time of year amphibians are also working on reproduction. From early March to August I monitor two ponds. (They have water year round and never dry up). They call the program the “Frogwatch,” but it’s actually a “frog listen,” for the different calls frogs make to find a mate. This time of year the Spring peepers are quite loud with their continuous “peeping,” especially if the day has been very pleasant and warm.

   

   Early spring is very welcoming because of the wildflowers in the parks and woods. Very early ones, like purple crocuses, pinkish dead red nettle, and violets bring a welcome coloration to all the green springing up. Yes, the woods are coming back to life. This may be why it is my favorite season.                                                              

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