Friday, March 21, 2008

Spring has sprung!

I really love Spring....especially when the sun is out (which has been minimal lately). I just love seeing all the trees and plants start budding out and growing almost in front of your eyes. Everything seems to come back to life....I even feel more alive! My most favorite thing of all is to hear the frogs chirping....this is a sure sign that spring has sprung. Every night I make sure to listen to them and enjoy their songs. Grayson also takes notice of them every since I told him to listen quietly to the frogs singing. I'm grateful that we are right by the lake so we can hear them well. Some of my other Spring favorites include: Flowers: daffodils, hyacinths, Easter lillies, helebore, red-flowering currant and indian plum; frolicking lambs and calves; baby ducks and chicks; freshly mown lawn; reappearance of bugs; warmer temps; more sun; longer days and nesting birds.



In honor of Spring, I thought I would share my favorite poem from my favorite poet.


Daffodils


I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills
When all at once I saw a crowd, --
A host of golden daffodils
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I, at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee;
A poet could not but be gay
In such a jocund company;
I gazed--and gazed--but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought.

For oft, when on my couch I lie,
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

WILLIAM WORDSWORTH

*Note: I had a difficult time typing the poem the way that Wordsworth intended....this program wouldn't allow it....quite frustrating.

6 comments:

Brian & Kara said...

Yay! I love spring too. It's such an exciting time of year- and nature is so busy and entertaining when to stop to notice...

The Fields Family said...

We are big fans of frog songs as well, I love them. Also nothing beats the smell of a freshly mown lawn. I think that is my favorite small ever!!!

Cailen said...

I love your ode to spring! I have been swooning (yes, swooning)over my Indian Plum. Watching them swell when it was still freezing cold, knowing that they would be the first to bud... And now seeing them heavy with leaves and blossoms, making the woods look oh so green already. The kids and I went for a walk in the woods last week and it was so fabulous! I said, "I LOVE the smell of the woods in the spring. It's my favorite!" even though that's not true. I love the way the woods smell in ALL seasons and there's no way I could ever pick a fave. But, I am loving this time of year--especially seeing all of the baby lambs and calves on my way to work. :)

Leona & Ohana said...

Aloha no Jess,
Thank you for the wonderful blog! I love spring too, I can't believe I spent most of my life missing out on all this! I have always loved the "frogs chirping", or singing. I remember seeing thousands of those little critters crossing the coral roads of the sugar plantation I grew up on. Haven't had those memories cross my mind in many years. Mahalo nui loa, a hui hou!! Leona & Ohana

Cailen said...

And I forgot to say that I, too, love the frogs. Hearing and seeing them! And I have to add Trillium to your list of spring-time plants. I love that our place has trillium and I love taking the kids out in the spring evenings after dinner...we make it a contest to see who can spot the first trillium of the year. Ok, that's all...gotta get to bed.

The Lees Family said...

This has been the longest winter ever! Thanks for the words of inspiration! Yay! It's almost spring!