spring forward

My good friend Ryan is usually ahead of the rest of us. Which is why it is not surprising that he wrote a blog post during the first week of February pronouncing the beginning of spring. The first week of February! While I do agree with him, the topic was two months premature. So, I write you today to inform you that spring has finally arrived. The signs are all around us.

One of the greatest rites of spring, the NCAA Tournament, wrapped up last night. For three solid weeks, you can watch over 60 basketball games. This would be great in itself. Yet many of these contests come down to the last few possessions. While I am personally against a large Division 1 football play-off system, March Madness does cause me to think, “what if?”

Yesterday also marked the beginning of the Major League baseball season. I understand that a lot of you think that baseball is slow. It is. But what if that is the point? Seeing a baseball game, on any level, live is such a sweet experience. Attending a baseball game is a sensory experience. It is much more than a game. It is the smell of the grass, a cool early summer’s breeze, hotdogs, the sound of the ball cracking against a wooden bat, the fat guy behind you arguing the close call at the plate. You don’t rush a baseball game, you savor it.

Yes, spring is finally here, which means that summer is close behind. I can’t wait. I look forward to naps in a hammock. I look forward to playing waffle ball, crochet, Frisbee, and other picnic games. I look forward to getting a Chaco tan line. I look forward to living in a dorm room. I look forward to doing yard work until nearly 9pm, squeezing every last ounce of light out of the fading sun.

Yes, spring is here… which explains why I saw on the news this morning that it could snow on Easter.