It must be spring because my friends who garden are aware of what to plant and when.

Not me! I even wrote about my black thumb.

Flowery photos are flying back and forth through texts.

The changing seasons in Central Florida are subtle. On any given day, facing the blazing sun, I’d have a hard time telling you what month it is.

Another sign of spring in Florida, is a lot of noise from the lake. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the bullfrogs from the gators. 🐸 While my husband was grilling salmon, he texted me to come listen to a deep growling in the reeds. The excitement was over by the time I reached the backyard. There must have been more than one gator—a reptilian couple enjoying a spring fling? 🐊🥰🐊

In winter, our Florida grass turns brown in patches. But when it rains, it greens back up. And spring cleaning generally happens during the winter when we can finally let in fresh, unadulterated air.

I have family in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Norway, Finland, and Sweden. Their conversations are more weather-related than mine.

Because some years spring looks like this.

Floridian’s rarely mention the oppressive heat and humidity. It is what it is. But we complement each other’s sweaters. Worn a handful of times, they look brand new decades later. 

When I lived in Wisconsin, I couldn’t wait for the first snow. And then, couldn’t wait for it to melt. Spring was my favorite season. By Easter, my shoveling days were over.

I remember that each season had a scent. I miss the aroma of lilacs and crushed dried leaves in the fall. Yesterday, I called my sister in northern Wisconsin. Snow is still on the ground. We are nineteen days into spring! My nostalgia for four seasons fades as I walk out my door in flip flops and shorts.

What is your favorite season?