Turn,Turn, Turn

article and illustration by LOU DAVENPORT

“To everything, turn…turn…turn…There is a reason, turn…turn…turn….and a time to every purpose, under Heaven.”  

That song has always reminded me of spring. A season that makes everything new again; a time for renewal and transformation.  And, even though we have to go through a dark, cold winter to get there, we always get there.

I was sitting here watching the birds at my bird feeder, a week or so ago, when all of a sudden, I caught a glimpse of something colored, a dull yellow in the corner of my eye.  It was a flock of Goldfinch, that had swooped in for a nice meal of sunflower seeds.  That was my first indication that spring might be on the way.  I am hoping to get to watch those little males turn a brilliant yellow, before they fly north to their breeding grounds.  

Right now, our weather is saying that we may get snow, sleet, a wintry mix, or who knows?  The temperatures are definitely going to get low, and I’m not looking forward to that, but there’s a few things I don’t think will keep spring from gradually getting here.

I have a few favorite things that I look for when spring is due.  I love flowering bulbs.  Right now, my daffodils and hyacinths are peeping up from the pots they’re planted in.  My daughter, Carolyn, got me to buy them last year, since I left most of mine behind in the last move.  I’m so glad she did, because during the last few warmer days, I have gone out there four or five times a day, just to see how much they’ve grown! 

When I was growing up, my mom planted three rows of tiny daffodils along the hill leading to the ditch that was in front of our house.  I often wonder if they are still coming back each year. They may have been the small variety, but they put on a big show! I always had to pick some, of course, and later, I learned that you have to take care if you mix daffodils in with other flowers in an arrangement.  They put out a sap that can be toxic to other flowers!  

My mom also planted clumps of little “Snow

Bells” that I always thought were “Lilies of the Valley.”  They aren’t, but I was five years old, and they said “Spring” to me!  I’ve been on the lookout for them lately, and flowering quince. They seem to bloom before anything else.  

I decided to ask a question to my Facebook friends about what their first signs of spring were, and I got some very interesting responses. 

I got answers from all over the place, too.  I also learned some new stuff, and I always love that.

My young cousin, Anders, who is seven years old, told me he knows when it is spring when he gets to play soccer.  He also taught me how to “FaceTime” on my new “big girl 

phone.”  A seven year old!  His brother, John Wallace, just yelled, “Baseball” to me, as he was busy with his iPad! I took everybody else’s answers, and grouped them together.  

So, here’s the rundown. Most people, like Joyce Maddox, Crickett Cangelose, Aleta Burns, and love redbuds starting to bloom.  Those are very good indicators, and usually the first color we get to see on trees.

Others, like Shelley Jones, Dana Hall, Vicki Sanders, and Janice Strickland, said they know spring is on the way when the daffodils begin blooming.  Charlene Whitaker Bailey brought up Crocus.  They are known as “the harbingers of spring!”  Nancy Mitchell answered, “Paper Whites,” and I have seen some of them blooming at my daughter’s house!

I never knew that pecan trees were the first trees, in our area, to begin putting out green. Nancy Dillingham, Jackie Mullin, Beth Becton, and Kathy Spurlock educated me on that!  I rode up 165 yesterday, to see if the grove of pecan trees were showing any green yet, but, sadly, they aren’t…yet! 

Leah Reitzel, and my cousin, Randy Colvin, who lives in New York, both said they know spring is on the way when they see Rrobins! Fran Boyd Johnson mentioned that we have a time change in March, and our days get longer again.  I much prefer “falling back,” and getting that extra hour of daylight!  More time to enjoy the spring weather!

Peggy Reynolds added that she knows spring is on its way is when the geese and ducks start flying north in their “V” formations.  They fly north, to colder destinations, to nest and hatch their young.  They also take turns leading the flocks.When the hatchlings are young, they fly south again, to raise them.  I’ve eyed a few flocks headed north, lately.

Karen Abernathy said she watches for hummingbirds to return.  I look forward to that, too. They usually start showing up in February. 

Those are some incredible tiny birds, flying long distances to the south in winter, making stops to feed.  Whenever they would have to cross large bodies of water, they can eat as much as FOUR times their weight, just to have the power to carry them through their long journeys.  There are still things biologists do not know about this tiny bird.  I love the ones that come to my feeder.  They zoom right past me, and sometimes, they fight with each other.  I’ve got my eye out, and my feeder is ready to be filled!

Here in the south, Anne Patton brought up one of our favorite things about spring is crawfish! They’re already back, and I am so ready to eat some.  The only drawback is, they aren’t here for long, or long enough.  Sigh.  Distance makes the heart grow fonder, though. 

Merrial Monsour and Terri Blackman brought up two very beautiful trees and shrubs we are about to get to enjoy; azaleas start to bud, and right before Easter, there’s dogwoods.  There’s also many kinds of wildflowers that are just about ready to burst into bloom, too.  There’s Oakleaf  hydrangeas, and tiny little bluets, and Blue Eyed Grass.  You can even find Jack in the Pulpits, if you know where to look. 

My friend, Cindy Lee Owens, mentioned violets and clover.  I had so many little violets in my old yard, that I dug them up, and made a whole bed full of them.  Each year, they got bigger and bigger.  There is a big difference in the clovers we have down here, the Red Clover and Crimson Clovers.  You’ll see the Red Clover growing along the highways, which is due to how useful the plant is when it comes to things like erosion, but they are really more of a crimson color.  The “real” Red Clover is more of a lavender/pink color.  The two are shaped differently, as well.  Red Clover looks like little hats, and the Crimson Clover has blooms that are round and puffy. Just throwin’ in a little trivia for ya!

One of the best answers I got came from Sarah Brasher Tugwell.  She celebrates having her twins on the Spring Equinox, or Vernal Equinox, March 20th of this year.  It means that it’s the moment, once a year, when the sun is directly aligned with the Equator. Day and night are the same length of time just once a year!

Cindy Ingram mentioned she knows spring is on the way when the seed catalogues start coming in the mail!  I’ve gotten several already, and, of course, I want most everything in them. Cindy also said she prefers to plant seeds instead of buying plants, and has had a lot of success growing tomatoes that way.  I haven’t tackled vegetables, but I might just give some a try this spring!

Spring is also the time that many insects and animals come out of hibernation.  I’ve been watching for three Anoles, the little green lizards that change color, that live out on my patio.  They burrow in dirt or leaves, and they have an enzyme in their bodies that acts like antifreeze.  When they finally emerge, they are nearly black.  I also have a little toad that has burrowed its own little home in the dirt of one of my plants, and I take special care that he isn’t disturbed.  But, as is life, the freaking mosquitoes start coming back, as do wasps.  I hate to admit it, but I refuse to give up my patio to those red wasps.  I stay armed with my wasp spray, and fortunately, last year, I won that war! Mosquitoes are a lot harder to deal with.  I just start wearing my “summer perfume,” of OFF, and that seems to work fairly well. 

Kathy Weeks Brooks summed up the coming of spring question really well, by saying,  “When everything starts turning green!”  I don’t think anyone would disagree with that. I want to thank everyone for helping me write about (and look forward to) my favorite season! 

Have a blessed spring y’all!

“To everything, turn…turn…turn…There is a season, turn… turn…turn…and a time to every purpose, under Heaven.”  

“Turn, Turn, Turn,” The Byrds