The Slow Walk to the Car

I left my house at 6:45 this morning and walked to the car. I moved slowly, as I usually do, allowing myself time to survey the morning. I like to take a few seconds as I walk out into the day to scan the sky and see what's what.

During the long winter months I use the short walk to the car to spot the moon and its location in the sky. With the approach of spring I check out the splashes of pale yellow, orange and gold in the east as the sun makes its way above the horizon. For the most part, the walk to the car is concerned more with the sights than the sounds of the morning.

This morning was way different. I don’t recall much about the colors of the sunrise because the only thing seared in my brain is the frenetic chirping sounds of the birds welcoming the morning. The symphony of sound was noticeable, to the point that I wondered what all the fuss was about. After a winter that gave the area more than the usual amount of snow I can only believe those chirping birds were celebrating the subtle signs of spring; green buds on the branches of the hydrangea bushes and the green stalks of daffodils and crocuses bursting through the cold, damp soil that was buried under 30 inches of snow only three weeks ago.