Spring has Sprung!

Spring has sprung and the world is green again!

As Canadians, we spend about six months of the year in drab, brown, cold, seemingly unending bad weather. September winds down and October brings a brilliant last hurrah with leaves turning splendid oranges, reds and yellows and a cool, fresh smell in the air. Then the leaves fall, the world turns brown and we settle in for months of cold and snow.

By the beginning of April, though, the air warms and the snow melts and we put up with rain because, as the adage goes, “April showers bring May flowers”. Every so often we have beautiful, glorious, summer-like days where windows get open and rugs get shaken off the balcony.

It was this weekend that I really noticed the world has greened again. Buds on trees have exploded into leafy bunches, the grass is green and lush and practically begging to be sat on, tulips are out in full force, and everyone in the city wanted to be outside. Streets are crowded and waits for patios run 30 minutes. Kensington Market is once again vibrant and loud and smelly, the street meat vendors are out in full force and the ice cream truck comes down my street playing his tune every day between 5:30-5:45pm. Spring is a time of re-birth and life and the city definitely comes alive when the sun shines and our air is warm. We soak up the sun and leave windows open, wear dresses and flip flops as much as we can because we know that in just a few, fast months it’ll all be over and we’ll be back in long coats and thick socks, battling our cases of SAD’s once more.

Those people with year-round warmth don’t know how good they have it.