I trust I have caught your attention with the exciting photograph that heads this blog because, if like me, pine for the end of winter and the beginning of spring, then this one for you. Remember the date: Tuesday 20th February. Our local frogs have all woken from their slumber and filled our garden pond with their spawn. Obviously, they don’t know that spring doesn’t officially begin until 1st March but given that today the sun shines brightly in the skies above South Gloucestershire and it’s actually warm-ish in the sun, let’s not spoil their fun.
You, my loyal reader, will be familiar with my story about how my view on the four seasons – no, not that Four Seasons – has changed over the years, particularly since my long-suffering partner as performed miracles in our back garden. To say she has green fingers would be an understatement of epic proportions. It’s more of a golden touch. And what’s more, you can see the seasons change in real time.
Before, I was one of the frightfully dull old people – and maybe I still am fightfully old and dull – who blithely said there were no seasons anymore, certainly “not like when I were a lad” and that Britain was basically the same all year long. It was either cool or cold and that was it. Well, that in itself may be true to a degree, but I’ve learned that my assessment that the seasons no longer existed was misinformation on an industrial scale.
As soon as I saw the spawn, I excitedly called my partner to see. Like me, she was thrilled, but unlike me she can always see something that needs doing in the garden and more importantly something she wants to do in the garden. There is always something that needs planting and pruning and composting. Hopefully, this weekend’s richly anticipated Lotto jackpot win should ensure that she is able to spend the rest of her, hopefully many, days doing what she loves to do, which may also be getting as far away from me as possible.
The warmth of the sun feels wonderful and while winter can still come back and bite us on the bum, better, if not necessarily brighter, days are on the horizon.
I know I am not at the extreme end of the SAD scale but I do know that the light, or the lack of it, can seriously affect one’s mood and the promise of spring and then summer gives a real lift to the spirit. Just ask our frogs. They’re in seventh heaven and if you close you’re eyes you can almost, but only almost, hear the Frog Chorus.
