Today is a day of balance, when hours of light and dark are equal, the vernal (spring) equinox. We will have 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark, pushing onward toward our longest day of the year in June. While there are probably snowstorms yet in store for us, at least winter is over on the calendar.

 

As I write this, I can hear bluebirds and red wing blackbirds calling outside. While I didn’t catch a glimpse of a flicker woodpecker yesterday, today one is busy pecking at the suet cake. A couple of weeks ago, just a few migratory birds could be seen here and there, now the skies are full of their song. After a long, cold winter, spring has finally returned.

 

It’s easy to see why ancient peoples so revered this day, this lengthening of daylight hours; they were grateful for it. What a relief is must have been to know that the sun had returned, to see the snow melting, to know another summer would come. No one culture can claim exclusivity over equinox traditions, so enamored were people all over the world with the warming of the Earth. Lighting bonfires, and interestingly, offering eggs to the gods and goddesses or dead ancestors, were common rites throughout ancient Europe and the Middle East.

 

Celebrating the arrival of spring is a time-honored tradition, what’s important is acknowledging the day, the change of seasons. The forecast for today is glorious, so at least spend some time outside in the sun listening to the birds and enjoying the lengthening daylight.

Last summer I wrote about my experiences learning to canoe; well, I may have created a monster – me. I enjoyed canoeing so much that I decided I also need a kayak. So I’ve ordered my first kayak, and I’m ridiculously excited, can’t you tell?

 

What I find most appealing about kayaking is that I can easily strap it to the top of my car and go on a whim. If my canoe is near the water, I can manage it okay, but it’s 16 feet long and weighs 75 pounds, so it’s a bit unwieldy. So I guess the kayak represents freedom and the ability to be spontaneous. I’m already fantasizing about a sunrise paddle to the middle of Bismarck Lake at sunrise to enjoy a cup of coffee. I know, it’s only March, but I can dream, can’t I? It’s probably a good thing the kayak won’t be here for at least a month.

Yes, there are still 20 official days of winter left, and actual winter can last weeks longer than “official” winter, but still, it’s undeniable that spring is coming. The past few days, we plunged deeply back into winter, but today’s temperatures in the 40s had me disappearing outside for hours, hiking around in the sun, hearing the mud squish under my boots.

 

In preparation for spring’s arrival, I have taken care to keep my birdfeeders full as birds begin their northward migration. The mountain bluebirds should be arriving soon, so I cleaned out their houses a couple of weeks ago. I’ve also completed my seed orders so that I can sow some seeds indoors this month.

 

The turkeys have begun gobbling, letting us know that nature’s calendar is changing. And today my daughter came rushing into the house and excitedly drug me onto the front porch to listen to geese nearby. We couldn’t see them, but they were fairly close. Now, for some of you, you’ll have geese all year, but to us, the arrival of the honkers is always a landmark event.

 

Sure, we’re for a few storms and bouts of cold weather yet, but there is light at end of the tunnel called winter.