5 Signs Spring has Sprung!

Signs that spring has sprung here in Maine aren't always obvious, well, at least not if you are looking for things like warmer weather and blooming flowers. Indeed, we may be getting another snow storm on Monday. Luckily, though, spring snow isn't lasting (knock on wood.). Still, there are some sure signs of Spring and I've listed 5 of them here:

1. Spring Fashions -- Despite the frigid temps, Mainers start donning spring like fashions under their Carharts and Cabelas. Snow boots get swapped out for rain boots, fleece for Thinsulate. Even I have traded turtle necks for T-shirts under my sweaters. The first year we were up here, I was much weather-wimpier than today and was dressed for full blown winter on a sunny day in April when I was shocked to see Mainers at the grocery store wearing shorts and jellies! The shock was, of course, over the jellies. Where did they even get them?

2. Maple Syrup Sunday -- Today is, in fact, Maple Syrup Sunday, a day when the local syrup producing farms open their sugar shacks for all to see how they boil the sap down into that delicious stuff we love to eat on our pancakes. That's right, sap, from trees. Maple trees. Contrary to what Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworth may tell you, real Maple Syrup is made by tapping maple trees in the early spring, collecting the sap and then boiling it down. It takes about a gallon of sap to get a half a pint of syrup. The price doesn't seem so high now, does it? And ooooh, man, it is sooo good. Nothing compares with fresh maple syrup. Yum.

3. Egg Hunts! Every community around sponsors an Easter Egg hunt with an appearance by the Easter Bunny! We went to one at a local firehouse and the Rabbit arrived on a fire truck. It was thrilling. I kept an eye out for any trouble, because I've heard of poor egg hunt etiquette in other places (http://www.autoreviewonline.com/breaking/story.asp?ID=14227) but there wasn't any. All the children had smiling faces and baskets of plastic eggs filled with toys and candy. Then, the Easter Bunny bought the plastic eggs back for 1 cent each so he could be sure they were all recycled. My son won a raffle! And his prize was a toy gun - shocking right?! But it blows bubbles and he loves it. He asked if he could kill the dog with it, I thought, hmm, we should be so lucky, but said, "no, honey, this gun will just blow bubbles at her." Our dog is very annoying, but we do love her, but I digress. . . .

4. MUD. Maine's spring is also commonly known as mud season. As the snow melts, the earth can't absorb it fast enough, I guess due to the amount of ledge? Or maybe just the volume of water. Anyway, it is super muddy here and everybody walks around in muddy boots and shoes for a few months, right up through black fly season.

5. Black Fly Season - This is a time in late spring, generally from Mother's Day to Father's Day when these gigantic gnats come out and eat you alive. They are vicious and leave blood running down from their bites. They get little kids behind the ears and dogs on the belly. Insidious creatures - too bad our bubble gun won't kill them!

Gosh, I hate to end with black Fly Season . . . How about we end with wildlife instead. What I have noticed so much this spring are the three deer that are living in the woods where we've built our home. I'd normally call it "our yard" but really it is more their yard, at least it used to be before we came. We have this big doe and a medium size one and then a little baby one and they eat from our bird feeder every morning and evening. We didn't see that all winter, so they must be a sign of spring here in Maine. Nice, right? Happy Spring every one!