The True Book of Mostly Unrelated Stories

Spring is Here

by John Mooy

This morning as we sat in the living room and watched the full moon, we realized it was the first day of spring. While I stepped outside early this morning to check the weather it was still very cold with the temperature at the time below the freezing mark.  

Each season of the year I describe as my favorite for a number of reasons. And as each season comes to an end, I’m always ready for the next. Winter, spring, summer, fall; they each hold special memories. But spring especially is associated with growth, rebirth, and a time of newness.

I so clearly recall how good it felt to walk to school without having to trudge through the snow.  The winter clothes were put away and much lighter attire became the fashion of the day. There was even a different smell of the earth in the air which I also enjoyed. And along my route to school, you would walk by the flowers which had begun to pop up through the ground. And the sounds of the robins having returned from the south could be heard chirping in the trees.

And once I got to school the arrival of spring did little to impact my superior performance as an average student. While sitting in school, spring had created a feeling in many of the students that we should really be outdoors. And what a bonus it was when you climbed out of bed in the morning that it was already light outside. It was almost a pleasure to get up in the morning as it was done with such ease. No problem.

The chores of spring presented themselves as the backyards were now visible and would soon have to be mowed. Flowers were planted and general maintenance around the houses both in town and around the countryside were now ready for what everyone referred to as spring cleaning. In our neighborhood, spring cleaning meant the windows would all be washed inside and out, screens were cleaned, the floors would be mopped with soap and water, and every item in the house from furniture to coffee tables, to pictures on the walls would be dusted. I recall people saying that with the passing of winter it was easy to see everything that needed a thorough cleaning.

And, of course, spring meant spring training for all the major league baseball teams. Talk would turn to how good the Detroit Tigers would be and what kind of season perennial all-star Al Kaline would have. You counted on the fact that he would be in the starting lineup playing right field as he did for twenty-two seasons. And we had the privilege of having a popular Tiger player, Charlie Maxwell lived just down the road in Paw Paw, which made him a fan favorite.

And on Sunday afternoons if you went to the movie theater on Main Street, the show would start at five o’clock I think it was, and when you got out of the movie it was still light outside.  This meant you could go home and still have time to play before dark. Many of you probably remember Mr. and Mrs. Darnell who ran the theater for years.

Springtime effected people’s attitudes as they seemed to walk with a “spring” in their step.  Farmers would begin the process of readying the earth for the planting of crops which we would watch through the growing season as we drove down the country roads accompanied by the tune of red wing blackbirds and the croaking of frogs.  

 So, enjoy this new season:

“Spring makes the world a happy place
You see a smile on every face.
Flowers come out an birds arrive.
Oh, isn’t it grand to be alive?”
-Anonymous

Have a great week, Marcellus,
You’re the best.
As you spring into action.

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