Signs of Spring

Signs of Spring
            In cold, snowy Upstate New York, my brothers and I would put on our dress clothes for Easter and pile into the station wagon. We dodged shallow, muddy patches of snow to avoid messing up our good shoes. After the hour-long drive north, we’d get out of the car and follow our parents up the worn wooden front steps of my grandmother’s house.
            Grandma’s house was even further north than her childhood home in infamously snowy Tug Hill. I trailed behind when we got out of the car, stopping to look at the lingering piles of snow. Seeing daffodils push up through the Easter snow was my proof that spring had arrived. I knew that tulips would follow shortly.
            Here in San Francisco’s more moderate climate, I watch for daffodils to come up in late February. My instinct for tulips was in April or May as a child, but here in California I have to remind myself to check in March so I don’t miss them.
            Sure enough, it’s mid-March and not only are daffodils in full bloom all around, but the famous tulip garden in our neighborhood is now bursting with color.
            Seasonal weather and varieties of flowers may differ by region, but any burst of floral color is welcome.
            Whether it’s a carefully planted garden, blossoms that have grown through cracks in the sidewalk, or wildflowers on a mountain trail, enjoy the simple pleasure of the flowers you find around you! Keep putting one foot forward!
            This week’s HikingAutism Hike Notes from the archives is Queen Wilhelmina Garden, a garden by a windmill in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, known for its spring tulips.
 
This week’s Hike Notes from the Archives:
(Original Hike Notes 129): Queen Wilhelmina Garden
 
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