The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Say goodbye to winter and hello to spring
By now, after weeks of mostly balmy weather, singing birds and early blooming flowers, the first day of spring may not be such a noteworthy event. The season begins with the spring equinox at 5:24 p.m. Monday.
In the same instance, the season of winter will end; that, too, likely will go unnoticed. The changing seasons, however, are a major reason why I love living in Georgia. I wouldn’t want to live, for instance, in the tropics, where the weather is warm year-round and there are only two seasons: rainy and dry.
I love our four seasons — even winter. To me, even though winter may be cold and a bit drab, we might not fully appreciate the warmth and beauty of spring without winter. Even in the face of climate change, I hope we’ll always have the wonders and joys of each season:
Spring, when trilliums, hepaticas, bluebells, violets, dogwoods and a riot of other wildflowers bloom in stunning displays in the woods; bees buzz and butterflies flit among the blooms; rubythroated hummingbirds,
warblers and other birds return; songbirds in spiffy breeding colors sing their hearts out to woo mates.
Summer, when the landscape is lush with 50 shades of green; nesting is in full swing; sea turtles lay eggs on coastal beaches; bluebirds, cardinals, Carolina wrens and other year-round birds raise second broods; baby animals are everywhere; cicadas and katydids sound off.
Fall, when the mountains are ablaze with dazzling leaf color; goldenrods, asters and other autumn wildflowers adorn woods, fields and roadsides; an abundance of nuts, berries and other wild food ripens.
Winter, when bare tree limbs form intricate silhouettes against the sky; pines, hollies, cedars and other evergreens stand out in the brown woods; “winter birds,” such as
yellow-rumped warblers and cedar waxwings, come in; many duck species show up; right whales give birth in coastal waters.
As German philosopher Johann Gottfried von Herder said: “What spring did not sow, summer cannot ripen, autumn cannot reap, winter cannot enjoy.”
In the sky
From David Dundee, Tellus Science Museum astronomer: The moon will be new on Tuesday. Venus and Jupiter are low in the west at dusk.
Jupiter will appear near the moon on Wednesday; Venus will do so on Thursday. Mars is high in the southwest at dark. Mercury and Saturn are not easily visible.