Ten Signs of Spring- At The Wiles'

A few of these I have posted previously on my facebook page, but some of these I began brainstorming on my way down the driveway this morning. Spring is such a big source of excitement for me this year. Normally, I don't mind the change is weather, but last spring/summer I wasn't able to get out and play in the sunshine while I was preggo like I had every year previous. (Not that I'm complaining!) So, this year the warm weather has me especially excited. That, and of course, the chance to get Cole out in the sunshine as well! Lets begin, shall we... 1. The Army of Frogs in our Backyard Pond (the pond is a recurring theme in this list, you'll see.) Every spring, at the first hint of warm weather, frogs attack our little pond in the backyard with a vengence. Its as if a bulletin was put out for all single -and most importantly vocal- frogs to gather in our little wet meeting ground. The doors on our house can't block out the roar of croaking bullfrogs! I've been a frog lover forever, but my husband isn't a fan at all. Though Clint may not hand out by the pond unless its with a very long frog gig or a gun, I on the otherhand think its great, the first sign of Spring! 2. Buttercups When I was a little girl, growing up in Cadiz, KY, one of my favorite things to do was pick flowers for my Mom. Isn't that what all little girls are supposed to adore?!? The long wooden fence that separated our strawberry field from the front yard was lined with a bed of buttercup and iris bulbs. Every Spring, I attacked that bed with both hands grabbing at the sweet yellow blooms. I remember my mother teaching me to break the stems at the base and not so close to the blossom. Lots of Easter pictures were taken along that row of sunshine. Every year, I think about our house in Cadiz, and it makes me smile to think, Spring is back yet again! 3. Bunnies Yes, my nickname growing up was Brenna Boo Bunny. If you've known me any length of time, I'm sure this little tidbit of info has surfaced. My mother decorated my nursery in Peter Rabbit, and I've always held the furry little critters close to my heart. So naturally, It always makes my heart jump a beat when I see one hopping around the yard. We're lucky enough to have several good hiding spots at our home for the little guys. A few favorites, are the stone gate at the entry to our driveway, the water pump landscaped bed by our garage, and the garden (of course). The Easter bunny may be a symbol of Easter, but he shows up at our house much sooner! 4. Mallard Ducks We keep a watch out for short green necks every spring. You can't miss them, they stick out against the usually light brown pond (from all the spring rain). Mallard ducks, two sets of them, so far every year since we dug our pond, have nested in the woods next to our pond. I feel very lucky that they chose our home to rest at while they raise their youngens. I like to think its the same males and females, and they have decided to mate for life. Maybe our pond is like their vacation spot. Wouldn't that be funny? My grandfather, Guy Tucker Henderson, would have loved that we have a pond. I have so many memories of him dressed in his camo, floating in a little boat out on Open Lake in Tennessee. I know he's smiling down on Cole while he laughs at the green necks out on our pond. 5. Blooming Trees Clint, my hubby, loves to plant trees. He's even mentioned we should look into insuring them in case something unforseeable were to happen to them. Though he's not a tree hugger, I could see him being one in another life. Thanks to Clint and his affinity for trees, we have lots of spring bloomers. Dogwoods in the forest by the house, Cherry blossoms by the gate, Rebuds behind the house, and Bradford Pears sprinkled here and there. If there is anything more beautiful than the blossoms on the "early springers" its the green leaves that follow them after they fall of the trees. 6. Fishing Jerry, my father in law, has really enjoyed fishing on the pond. While some people may enjoy fishing in the cold, we wait until it warms up, at least a little anyway! While we never properly stocked our pond, we did transport a few large mouth bass and crappie from Clint grandfather's pond in Russellville to ours. Amazingly enough, they survived the trip in a rubbermaid tub, and are thriving. We've caught several good sized bass over the past few years. Cole got to enjoy his first fish, caught by his Pops, a few Sundays ago. A true sign of Spring! 7. Flip-flops and Sundresses On the first 70 degree day, my mind automatically swtiches to flip-flop and sundress mode. Some girls may like their shorts and tank tops, but I a flowy sundress kinda girl! In fact, the first chance we got this March, I was up in the attic digging through my summer clothes for something to wear. Granted, I had to wear a sweater over my shoulders but the fact remains, it was a sundress! 8. Grilling Out At the first sign of warmer weather our minds focus on outdoor dining. One person manning the grill, one in the kitchen, and a runner in between. We all know our positions and we assume them when the sunshine pops out. Last weekend, we took advantage of the unseasonable warm weekend and broke out the grill and hamburgers. Yummo! Hamburgers, pasta salad, chips and salsa (from the garden of course). 9. Striping Our front yard is more like a hay field, rahter it would be if Clint and his Dad didn't keep it mowed every spring/ summer. When the spring rains come, so does the green grass! That of course prompts the Wiles men to fire up the outdoor power equipment; the John Deere tractor, finishing mower and the Gravely mower. Something about the striping in the yard makes me want to pack a picnic lunch and eat under the big maple trees in the front yard. At least its time to start thinking about running barefoot in the front yard catching fireflies. It won't be long now! 10. Big Fat Robins Along side our driveway, Clint planted lots of beautiful maples trees. They were good sized when he planted them a few autumns ago, but the bracnhes are still a bit flimsy. Far too flimsy for all the big fat robins that like to perch there. If only I could have snatch a photo of the fat little guy that was hanging sideways on a limb this morning. The spring has definately been kind to our feathered friends. "They" say a robin is the first sign of spring. I suppose I agree, its at least one at our house. HAPPY SPRING YALL!