It’s not snowing. It IS raining. This is a good thing. Rain says it’s above 38 degrees most of the day. When it rains and it’s below 38 degrees there is a good chance of snow. Today we have rain and it’s 43 degrees. Rain is a trigger for plants to grow. Snow tells the plants to stay “quiet” for the time being.
We have something else too. We have a teeniest-tiniest amount of green showing up on the aspen trees. Yesterday at sunset (we had a bit of sunshine yesterday) the trees were barren. They looked like tall stalks of bleached asparagus. No green. In fact, they showed no sign of leaves. Today, when I woke up, a magic button must have been pushed, because there’s a very small amount of green circling the treetops. I call it a scree of green. The leaves are at most ¼ inch BIG but there are many, and all are poking up their leafy green heads at the same time. It's a start. I swear I can see the leaves growing today. I look out the window every hour or so, and the “scree” gets bigger. Spring might decide to come to the Rocky Mountains sometime in the not so distant future.
I know that the first leaf does not denote spring, but it does indicate that spring is in the air. My neighbors have some daffodils and tulips blooming. They are the hearty first flowers of spring. It might be cinco de Mayo, but it’s early spring at 6500 feet in elevation.
In addition to the aspens, the wild rose bushes are sporting a few pre-leaves. The poor bushes are shedding that “never-stylish” look of a bundle of dried up twigs and trying to wake up. The same is true for the berry plants. And, there are some wild grasses popping out of the ground. There was nothing, nada, zilch, happening yesterday.
What a difference a day makes. If I’m patient (never a strong suit) spring will show up. Along with the flowers, leaves and grasses come the allergies. While I love all the new color that springs brings, I don’t love the pollen. Remember, we’re all in this together.
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