Spring's Coming!

A few years ago, I used to travel for work every morning into the light of the rising sun. Shades donned and visor down, I loved soaking up that morning light before going into the job. In early April especially, the azaleas were in full bloom and the roadside rock fences, draped in flox, were dressed in my favorite periwinkle color. I loved those sights, and the world always came alive with the smell of a fresh Southern rain this time of year, too. I still think about that drive—the azaleas, the flox, the early rains.

My kids and husband? I don't think they get as excited as I do about this time of year. Not because they don't love getting outside and doing more things. Hiking, kayaking, biking, walking--all are high on our list after winter. But with all the blooming and budding, comes the sneezin', runny eyes, and nose blowin', FULL FORCE. Counting sneezes is like a contest around here. Anybody else do weird things like that?

I don't know how it is in the rest of the world (because I'm basically a recluse), but where I live, the pollen collects on the cars in our drive in a thick yellow film, and people gauge their activities by the allergy forecast. So crazy that just a few years ago, we wouldn't have heard of a thing called an allergy forecast, but now the meteorologists predict the air quality index right alongside tornados here in the South. Today, btw, our AQI is moderate, so "If you suffer respiratory issues, you should reduce prolonged or heavy outdoor exertion."

Maybe I should come up with a writing quality index.

Today the WQI is moderate. If you suffer from writer's block, reduce prolonged or heavy butt-in-seat exertion.

HA! If only I could come up with some kind of Zyrtec for that! Bet I could find a new revenue stream :)

I do take a lot of inspiration from the changing seasons, even if the occasional bout of blank-page fever hits. That's when I might go outside with our dog, sit on the porch, and soak up a little of that beautiful spring sunlight. Maybe reminisce about driving past azaleas and flox, and even breathe in the sweet scents coming off the redbuds and dogwoods at the edge of the yard. Or . . . maybe I'd do all but the breathing part. Drawing in a lung-full of that pollen could put me in the running for that sneeze-counting contest, and I'm just not that competitive.

At any rate, look for a few of those kinds of spring scenes in my books. I just can't help myself.

Happy spring, y'all!

Photo by Alli Remler on Unsplash