Top Seven Spring Things!

Spring has finally sprung here in Colorado, and like my children who are counting the seven and a half days until school is out, I have Spring Fever! That means the last thing I want to do is sit inside in my home office behind my computer...

So to bring a little spring inside I'm listing my seven favorite things about Spring:

1. Coffee on the back porch...My husband and I have a cup of coffee together every morning. It's our little ritual, a small thing that keeps us connected during the craziness of two jobs, three children, family, friends and hobbies. I look forward to it every morning but especially so in the spring!

2. Backyard birds...During above mentioned coffee time, hubby and I love to watch the birds who come to visit our little ponds and stream and various feeders. The Goldfinches (our fave) have returned as have the Redwinged Blackbirds. I love listening to their songs - thankfully I can hear them through my office window!

3. Blooming flowers...Gardening is meditation for me so, of course, I love to watch my plants "come back to life" after the winter. My butterfly garden is full of green and a few colorful flowers are just starting to show their lovely faces.

4. Walking...Another form of meditation for me, I love it when the weather warms and I can get out of the basement, away from the treadmill to walk outside. I love the quiet of the mornings as well as watching activity in and around the homes of my neighbors when I walk in the evenings.

5. Longer days...We observe Daylight Savings Time here in Colorado and although it royally screws up my internal clock every Spring and Fall, I do love the longer periods of light.

6. Bird watching (especially raptors)...We live in a fairly rural area so bird watching involves little more than jumping in the car and cruising the county roads. Less than a mile away is a Bald Eagle nest. The Spring was so rough this year that the eagles lost their three babies, but we still see one of the adults fishing the river. Hawks and owls nest in trees along the mostly deserted roads so we can park and watch the little heads of the babies bop up and down and the parents taking shifts hunting and watching over the babies!

7. The nearing of summer...Spring means summer is just around the corner which, for us, is a completely different schedule and routine. No more rushing around in the morning, getting out the door to school. Our nights are still busy with kids' stuff but because we don't have worry about school in the mornings, activites take on a much more relaxed feel.

And for my little darlings...

7 ½. No more school, no more books, no more teachers' dirty looks! :0)

Is it Spring in your neck of the woods? What are your favorite things about Spring?