promise of spring

Had to drive into “town” this morning to get a special fan clutch removal tool. As I was heading down Irmo Drive, I saw the two tulip trees beginning to open their blossoms. I immediately remembered their first appearance last year because I blogged about it then. I also thought that it wasn’t this early last year. February? When I got back home, I got to work on the truck, but kept thinking about the tulip trees all day.
I took Allison to work this evening so I’d have a way to get to church in the morning and then came home and built a fire on the deck, got the kids some roasting sticks and hot dogs, put the condiments on the counter and told them to fend for themselves.
Dan and Esther came over and fended for themselves as well and when things settled down inside, we sat by the fire under the partially veiled, just-past-full moon and listened to Norah Jones and The Blind Boys of Alabama while I silently lamented that Allison wasn’t there.
When I came inside, I googled tulip trees on my blog to find out what the date was last year. It was Saturday, March 6, one week to the day later than this year. I wondered what the difference was this year until I read the post. It seems that the full moon was precisely one week earlier this year as well. I wonder if Full Snow Moons and tulip trees have a connection? But the day similarities didn’t stop there. It seems that on that tulip tree/full moon day last year I also built a fire on the deck, though there is no record of what music accompanied the moon rise.
I probably won’t expect to see lots of blossoms on the way to church in the morning, but I will believe the promise that spring is on the way. Perhaps even a little early. God knows I need it. It has been a long cold winter, even here, in the Palmetto State. I will welcome and embrace some fresh color, warmth and new birth.