Emerging

When I lived in California, spring hardly fazed me. The overall contrast between seasons was so slight. Trees may have had a few more blossoms. I might have opened the windows more often for fresh air. Mornings were still overcast, with the cloud layer frequently burning off in the afternoon. Regardless of the calendar day, the same stretch of Pacific Ocean continued to peek out between houses if I drove west about a mile.

Here in Seattle, particularly this year, I've been monitoring spring's shy approach with greater than usual interest. First I saw a Steller's Jay on the fence a couple of weeks ago -- a dark blue bird sporting a black crest. Then I spotted tiny purple flowers blooming, unassisted, in the ground cover near our front door. A squirrel darted across the lawn yesterday and disappeared into the bushes. And suddenly the lawn needs mowing and some days I don't need a jacket at all (just a light sweater). Progress!

Also unique to this year is how much time I've spent in silence. Blissfully unstressed silence. My time in unemployment has gone by fast -- 3 months already!

So with the winter dissolving as spring reasserts itself, sounds like it's time to throw my hat back in the ring and apply for work.

Here we go again.