Springier

About two dozen white irises have bloomed, and the dogwood tree across the street is wearing a faint haze of pink blossoms that will soon become a vivid cloud. The balmy air buzzes with insects and flutters with birds. The foliage of the oaks is now dense enough to create pools of shade all afternoon, and then bring patches of early dusk as the sun sets. All the green of early spring, enlivened with splashes of color, even more than the day's warmth, brings the sense that winter is truly gone.

The geese must think so, too. Early this morning I heard a flock flying north. It's odd that I heard so few birds arrive last fall, but lately I've heard several flocks departing, most of them passing by night. They must have sneaked in by the back door, but they are not leaving quietly. I wish them a good journey. Come full summer, I might envy them their northern clime, but for now I'm pleased enough to enjoy these mild April days and the brisk nights they fill with their calls.