Spring in Vermont

Spring in Vermont
              By Brenda Comstock  611 words

Vermont winters can be harsh, and it has been said that the ensuing mud season is pretty unbearable. The latter is a falsehood, as any real Vermonter can tell you. Mud season is simply nature’s way of forcing you to slow down so that you can truly enjoy the magnificent show of spring.

Spring in Vermont is a three-scene play. Very early spring is easily recognized on many a back road by the ever so faint smell of maple sap being boiled into maple syrup. The aroma is a sure fire sign that winter is over and sap is running. Sap season is but a few weeks long most years. Once the frost is out of the ground and the buds can be seen on the trees scene two - Mud Season - begins.

People who have lived through Vermont’s fifth season know to plan some extra time to get where you’re going, certainly if it involves back roads. Even once the mud has dried up, there’s sure to be construction – the third and final act of spring - given the limited time available with weather appropriate for road repairs.

So you leave the house a tad earlier, go a bit slower and you begin to notice the little things; a squirrel scampering up a tree, a fawn disappearing into the woods, daffodils peeking through a fence. At the edge of a brook you see some ferns just beginning to unfurl, and realize why they call them fiddleheads.

Before you know it you reach pavement and discover that the bumps and ruts didn’t make you tense at all. If fact, you feel relaxed and alert. The farm you pass every day seems more alive. The smell of freshly mowed lawn tugs at memories of springs past.

As you continue on towards your destination you know that you’re nearing town because the trees are getting thinner. When you round the corner there is a notice of construction ahead. Traffic is beginning to build and you are moving slower than expected. Then you come to a complete stop.

While you wait you start looking around, really noticing the surroundings. Buds on the trees are fully out now and those new leaves have created an explosion of color on the mountainside. Almost the opposite of fall foliage’s brilliant display of color, the spring show is somewhat more subtle, but equally magnificent. The sky at the horizon is a pale robin’s egg blue, and it deepens across the sky to a deep azure. White puffy clouds float along, changing as they go like friendly shape shifters. Youthful thoughts of long lazy days lying on the grass gazing at the sky with your best friend finding shapes in the clouds makes you smile.

Your eyes wander back to the tree line and you find yourself amazed at the number of shades of green there are. Who knew there were so many shades of this fascinating color?  The deep forest green is a nice strong color, but the new leaf’s yellow-green is so fresh looking. Everywhere you look there are new shades, deeper, brighter, softer or stronger. The mix is stunning; the sun enhances the highlights and shadows. You search for two identical shades, enjoying the hunt, appreciating the beauty of the whole.

When traffic begins moving again you are almost disappointed. Today, you know, is going to be a very good day. Spring has slowed you down and heightened your awareness. It is hard to be stressed when you are surrounded by nature’s beauty. And the intense greens are a sure bet that summer is just around the corner.