Spring is Finally Here

Transitional seasons are one of my favorite experiences as a northern Minnesotan. This state is known for having harsh winters, particularly the long stretches of sub and sometimes sub-sub zero weather along with significant snowfall and ice that can make travel or even leaving the house difficult. Summers tend to get a pass here (because I think we just like being warm for a while), but they can also be challenging with hot, humid weather, swarms of mosquitos and black flies and more recently, days on end of wildfire smoke. But spring and fall, the most fleeting of our seasons, are also the most vibrant, exciting, and temperate, making them the best time of year for those of us who enjoy spending a whole lot of time outside. And after a long, harsh, and for many reasons challenging winter in Minnesota, spring is finally here.

Quick disclaimer that I know a lot of us live for winter recreation and the stunning beauty of the snowy season and my opinion will most definitely be very different later this year once I’m mentally and emotionally done with the hot weather but for right now, we’re here to say goodbye to all that for the time being.

One of the best parts of spring is the sound. Winter in the wilderness is beautiful and carries a stillness and almost deafening silence to it. Many creatures are hibernating, and the snow provides a sound barrier as it blankets the trees and ground. In the spring, as birds migrate through and settle into their summer breeding grounds, everything from the familiar call of an American Robin to the raucous sound of flocks of warblers, Red-winged Blackbirds, sparrows and many others fill the air, turning every outdoor space into an instant aviary. In the evenings, spring peepers—tiny frogs with big personalities—announce their presence so loudly that you can hear them going 55 on the highway with the windows closed. And of course, the sound I miss the most on the lake over the winter returns in the spring as the calls of Common Loons echo on the lakes as they find their mates and claim their territories to raise young that season.

While we have continued to dip cold enough for frost warnings at night here, that hasn’t stopped our local turtle population from emerging and making their way to what seems to be the best sunning spot on the whole lake. (Get there early if you want a seat). The local beavers are up as well, selecting trees from along the lake to build or fortify their dams and enjoying the open water.

And of course…..the bears. I love bears—so much that you will likely have a whole separate post or posts on bears at some point. In the town where I live, they make frequent appearances on surveillance and trail cameras as they come through at night looking for food sources that have been left out. They’re frequent disrupters of a peaceful garbage pickup day and bird feeder thieves. One year I watched a disgruntled man walking up the street carrying a piece of his grill back home after a particularly eventful night. It’s also imperative once spring gets here to watch your step on the paths and sidewalks and yes, even your own yard. I myself have learned this the hard way in my yard while being so engrossed in taking pictures of a cool mushroom that I missed that the neighborhood bear had also found that mushroom to be very cool and left evidence of his presence there.

IMPORTANT note here to please be bear wise! I don’t take my garbage out until the morning of pickup, all bird feeders come in at night, and I’m mindful to keep other food sources out of the yard. If you love them, keep them safe by discouraging them from coming into the neighborhood as much as possible. Be BearWise® while recreating outdoors | Minnesota DNR

Next week, we’ll see our first wave of temperatures in the 80s F, and with it the reminder of how fleeting the spring season really is. The air will quiet down a bit, things will settle into a little more stillness, and we’ll start getting ready to enjoy boat season, and grill season, and warm nights sleeping with the windows open season. And……mosquito season.. But until then, I’ll be sure to remain in and enjoy as many moments as we have left of this one, and its boisterous return to life.

Note: We have in fact reached the 90sF a couple of days since I started writing my thoughts about spring. So we are already feeling the swelter but unlike some other recent years, it looks like we’ll get at least a few weeks of reasonable temperatures still.