Signs of Spring

Despite the best the winter has thrown at us here in northwest PA, spring is blooming or at least my Crocuses think so.  This is the second year in a row where I've come home one day to these eager purple flowers plowing their way up through the snow.

I've written about the way nature reclaims what is hers (The beautiful thing about Nature) and with the spring thaw we can see how the cycle perpetuates itself.  Plants that have died back, and left almost no trace of themselves by September, reemerge and start their lifecycle all over again. 

And that's what draws me to the outdoors.  All of these temporary markers of our modern human life will go away.  Nature has been, and will be, endless.

The animals are at it too.  White-tailed deer breed in the late fall, so that they drop fawns in the spring when food sources are emerging, giving the fawn the best possible chance of success.  Birds, like wild turkeys breed and hatch in the spring, giving their poults access to a fresh supply of emerging grubs and tender greens.  Every species of animal have evolved so that the young have the maximum chance of surviving through the next winter season.

If you think about it humans are the really the same way too, just on a much longer scale.  We tend to reach our peak of breeding, and child rearing in our 20's and 30's when we are young enough to have the energy to complete the task.  Then correspondingly our offspring will reach their breeding peak while we are in our 40's to 50's.  For ancient humans, who had much shorter lifespans, this meant the older generation was dying off while the new generation replenished the tribe.  For modern humans, with double the life expectancy, we reach our earning potential and maximize various savings vehicles so that we don't have to work forever.

We're all animals, and we all adapt our behaviours to the cycle of nature.

In the next several weeks and months we will be able to shake off the cabin fever, get outside and explore the natural world.  Spring really is one of the best times to get outdoors.  You're motivated by the long weeks indoors, plus there is so much life re-emerging, there's always something to see.

It doesn't really matter what path you choose, just choose one, lace up your boots, and rediscover your place in nature.

Happy Exploring
Scott M