Springtime Wednesday Medley

Spring begins on the March or vernal equinox, which is when the amount of sunshine is approximately 12 hours long.  The amount of sunlight will incrementally increase until the first day of Summer.

The vernal equinox marks the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator.  This is the imaginary line in the sky above the Earth’s equator, from south to north. This happens on March 19, 20 or 21 every year in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, this same event marks the beginning of fall.  Meteorologists actually mark the spring from March 1 through May 31st.

In 2016, spring arrived a little earlier due to it being a leap year.  On Leap Day, there’s a little math lesson regarding the Gregorian calendar.  To keep our calendar following the seasons so that spring happens when flowers grow and winter arrives when snow falls, an additional day was figured into years divisible by the number four. This has caused the 2016 spring to occur earlier than any living human being alive had ever seen. Before 2016, the earliest spring on record took place in 1896.

For more information visit almanac.com.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Get ready for longer days and increased sunshine. Tune up the lawn mower.  More sunshine means the grass will be growing. Use #SpringBegins to post on social media.

HISTORY

Human beings have been following the sun and creating a calendar based on seasons since the beginning of time.  

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1.  The first spring flowers are usually daffodils, dandelions, lilies, tulips, iris. and lilacs. Which one of those choices is your favorite?  

I’m going with tulips, then iris a close second, and daffodils third. Have you seen any yet? No, only in pictures. I’m ready to see some. 

But I know Spring has arrived when I see these bursting out around the neighborhood!

I wish they stayed in bloom longer.

2.  What is your least favorite thing about spring? 

Seeing the weeds pop out first and then the bugs!

3.  Okay, what puts a spring in your step? 

Getting good reports from doctors does seem to cause a spring in your step when you sometimes feel you have been dragging a bit dealing with stuff. 

4.  What is your favorite springtime song? 

It has to be A Beautiful Morning by the Rascals. 

5.  What really says spring to you? 

Stepping outside and the sun feels sweet as a gentle kiss … there’s no wind ... the air just seems to caress you with that feeling of perfection in the great outdoors. No mosquitos yet, the sun won’t burn, the wind is kind, and the air smells sweet. Everybody comes out to walk, ride bikes, visits with neighbors! 

6.  Tell us something random about your week.

Pretty much the usual routine. Bible studies, dinner with friends, breakfast on Wednesday with the guys, preschool tomorrow evening. I like routine. I have it on my calendar this week to attend a meeting about fostering children ... not that I will foster, but there are ways for us to help those who do foster.