12.11 The Great Outdoors - Yep, It's Already Time for Kale

Bestest Friend and I are in the middle of a blog project. Each day of the month we will post a picture on a pre-determined theme and write a little something about it. The theme for the eleventh day of each month is "The Great Outdoors."
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Two months ago there was still snow on the ground. One month ago I was still excited about tiny buds of green popping out of the ground. Now the dogwood is in full bloom, the smell of lilacs permeates the air, and when I'm out for my daily walk, I run into other people.

There are brand new goslings on the lake.

The farmers are already selling kale at the Farmers' Market.

The town smells like manure and no one complains.

I've switched my order from a mocha to an iced coffee with a shot of caramel.

The cat cries at the window and the screen door and refuses to eat until someone has taken her outside on her leash.

The toads in the ponds compete with the birdsong for what will keep me up at night.

I rate spring as my favorite season, but I don't know if I always acknowledge what it is I really love about spring.  It means the endless cold, nail-biting commutes, and shoulders hunched against biting winds of winter are over. It means new life - not just the baby birds, but baby calves in the fields, new plants in the ground, and small humans who have never been outside without layers and layers of clothing who are all experiencing the world for the first time. It means earthy smells, changing landscapes each day, and a new-found energy sweeping over people.
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To see what Bestest Friend wrote about the theme of the day, check out her blog, Too Legit to Quit.