This is a partial repost of a post I published back in 2018
“Never cut a tree down in the wintertime. Never make a negative decision in the low time. Never make your most important decisions when you are in your worst moods. Wait. Be patient. The storm will pass. The spring will come.” Robert H. Schuller
The weather has been pretty crummy lately, for want of a better word. We’re pretty spoiled for sunshine here in North Carolina, so several consecutive overcast days leave me feeling a little gray inside. When I feel the winter blahs, I start looking for signs of spring to lift my spirits. I urge you to take a walk and look, listen, and smell for these…
Birds singing more than usual
Birds can sense the change in season by the increased amount of daylight. It apparently makes them happy, because there is an absolutely riotous bird chorus happening outside my house every morning. I like to open the window for a few minutes just to listen to their joyous songs.
Spring Peepers peeping away
I first heard them on a walk along a quiet trail by an abandoned swimming hole a week ago, chirping loud and proud. You’ve probably heard their song announcing the coming of spring, but may have been unaware of the origin. These little frogs can be found from coast to coast in all sorts of wetlands.
Buds and blooms emerging
I always feel a little bit of happiness and hope when I see the fresh green tips of my bulbs emerging through the soil each and every year. Little bitty blooms decorate the tips of budding branches. Look for them! These early spring flowers are a reminder of the faithful cycle of nature as their scents fill the air.
The smell of spring
Surely, you know the smell. It is a scent of dampness, worms, rain, and moist soil. It holds the promise of new growth and fertility. One day you step outside and there it is. Then you know warm days and green growth are right around the corner. Interestingly, I just learned in an article, that warring bacteria are responsible for the smell. If you are at all interested in the science it’s worth a read. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/03/25/science/spring-science.html
In many cultures and traditions, spring is welcomed as an opportunity for regeneration after a period of dormancy. I can’t help but feel energized when I see the signs of seasonal change. I think of it as a great time to reevaluate, discard the old, and move on to new challenges - a time to look at my world with fresh eyes. I hope you’ll notice the signs of spring, and they will give you hope and renewed energy to create.
Meanwhile, while the days are still short and gray, I’m going to paint as brightly as I can. This explains all of the colorful new paint subjects in the spring paint kit collection just released. You can check out all of the flamingos, palm trees, flowers, and more here. I did throw in one tribute to winter. The “Winter Barn” paint kit is a more serious landscape subject for those who like the beauty of snow and crisp morning air.
Happy Painting,
Arianne
