As we learned in school, the date of the start of the seasons are determined by science. They are based on the yearly orbit of the Earth around the sun, taking into account the tilt of the Earth’s rotational axis.
While the start and end of each season is a matter of precise calculations, the effects of the arrival of each new season (officially, spring arrives on Sunday) require no special equipment or even an understanding of astronomy.
We know the seasons have changed through our senses.
A visitor to the Columbus Riverwalk this week was likely to have found indisputable evidence that spring has arrived. The redbuds are blooming and dogwoods are getting ready for their turn. The unmistakable aroma of fresh-cut grass permeates the air as the city’s public works department does its work.
We pause for a moment here to again pay homage to the Riverwalk, a well-maintained 2.2-mile excursion along the banks of the Tombigbee River. For all the issues that may face Columbus, what cannot be disputed is the success and beauty of the Riverwalk. When it comes to public parks, the Riverwalk may have a few peers, but no superiors in our state. It is a community treasure, and those who do not enjoy deprive themselves.
While a visit to the Riverwalk is one place to discover the indisputable arrival of spring, it is hardly the only venue for such an observation.
Across the community, the rumble of lawnmowers attacking the weeds and wild onions that have taken up residence in our lawns falls on our ears.
Homeowners are examining their flower beds, yanking out weeds, and doing inventories, noting which plants have survived the winter and which did not. Nurseries and garden centers are replenishing their stocks and will soon be buzzing with activity.
Tackle boxes are being re-stocked, too, and before long, kids will be practicing baseball and softball at Propst Park.
All sorts of projects, delayed by the intrusion of winter, will begin or resume.
And for the idlers among us, spring offers us something as well: It is perfect porch-sitting weather.
To varying degrees, all of us look forward to the changes of all seasons, but we suspect for most, the arrival of spring is the most anticipated.
When the temperatures settle into the 70s, our spirits and energies seem to rise as well. It is Goldilocks weather – neither too cool nor too warm. Just right.
A word of caution: Spring rarely overstays its welcome in our part of the world. It will leave us soon enough, taking all of its pleasantries with it.
Take a walk, fool around in your garden with the flowers and vegetables, wet a fishing line, escape into the woods and watch nature work its miracle of renewal, play a game of back-yard catch with a kid. Sit on your porch and watch the world go by.
The worst injustice we can do to spring is to ignore it.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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