Spring Fever

It is the last cold day before a week-long warmup, the weather people say anyway. We had a short snow yesterday afternoon that coated the roads and buildings with a fresh clean look. Though it isn't 20 degrees yet, the sunshine and blue sky already bring thoughts of spring fever. With lots of snow to melt it will be slushy and messy long before the grass begins to turn green. So even though I know that spring won't be here to stay, I'm excited for the season of warmth and new birth to arrive.

We have a female cardinal who must have spring fever, too. She has been attacking the windows as if trying to come inside. She doesn't slam herself but flutters into the window attempting to look inside or perhaps she sees her reflection; I'm not sure what she is doing. This isn't new. The same female has been after our windows for several years but only recently has she returned to her primarily summertime activity. I think she has spring fever.

As I type this a variety of birds have visited outside my window, looking for food as the feeder is now empty. A  bluejay and a downy woodpecker have visited the tree outside my window. The woodpecker hops his way up and down the tree trunk in search of something to eat. The bluejay apparently was checking the status of the feeder and left disappointed. We've also had a hawk standing on watch for the past several weeks. Staking out a position on a fence post, he is watching for food of some kind, smaller birds perhaps or rodents. Though I haven't seen him catch a prey while I've been watching.

It appears that winter truly challenges the strongest and bravest in nature. In spring the toughest and luckiest remain. It hadn't occurred to me that spring was also the time wars began in the Bible. Perhaps they used winter to plan and scheme attacks and fortify their weapons and armies. As spring draws closer it reminds me that God is always in control.

"In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces" (1 Chronicles 20:1 NIV).