According to the BBC weather website,
we've had 30-40% less sunshine
than usual
in January and February.
I would say that it has felt 40% grayer;
yes, at least that.
Cheers for a day of "sunny intervals."
Cheers for snowdrops
and purple crocuses.
Is it purple prose to say
that English spring is paved with flowers?
Here comes the first wave.
At Welford Park,
the snowdrops are nearly as dense
as the drifts of snow
for which they are named.
I've been coming here every February
for years.
And never, never has the sun shone.
It's usually quite a shivery experience,
cold hands and chapped cheeks,
but today we took tea outside.
The many visitors,
mostly old and young,
did mostly obey the dictates
to keep off the grass.
But there were a few rule-breakers.
Keen photographers will do anything
to capture their prey.
Wellies are an absolute must,
as the mud to grass ratio
(not to mention the temperature)
does not favor bare feet just yet.
I did hear this, though:
Mom, can I take off my coat?
It's still February, of course
and the sun is a big tease
because rain will be back tomorrow.
But just for today, it is Just-spring
and the world is not just muddy,
but mudluscious
For those who could not resist
fresh spring green
and the year's first warmth
there was one grassy verge.
I wonder which child
first had the notion
to roll down it?
I was almost tempted, too,
to try my forwards roll.
Long forgotten skills:
Let's dust them off
and bring them out
for spring.
In two more weeks
there will be an explosion of daffodils --
always a more reliable source of yellow
than the sun, in spring.