Spring! Perhaps my favorite season of the year, I love to watch the rebirth of nature in all of its glory.
Trees leaf out, flowers bloom, birds sing, bumblebees buzz, grass begins to green and grow and all of God’s miraculous creation seems to just come alive with a renewed sense of purpose.
In addition to enjoying the show, of course, springtime also brings us some work — like mowing the lawn and trimming grass and weeds. But it is a fair trade-off in mankind’s role as guardian and caretaker of nature.
Mowing can be therapeutic, and even enjoyable, if you approach it with the right mindset. For me, that’s more true in spring, before the temperatures soar.
Riding the mower around the yard gives me time to think, to sort things out. Sometimes I put in earbuds and listen to music, sports or talk radio.
But yard work is not without some risks and occasional challenges. Believe me, I know.
For instance, I cannot count the times that while whacking weeds I inadvertently splattered some poison oak or ivy, finding myself scratching a pesky, itchy rash a few days later. I’m highly allergic.
I have been stung by wasps numerous times after getting too close to a nest that I did not know was there.
I once cranked the lawn mower, only to discover that a snake had taken up residence underneath. I don’t know which of us was more startled.
I’ve endured countless scratches, superficial wounds and ripped a few shirts while trying to mow close to a tree or bush whose limbs had thorns or sharp growths.
Then there are those other unfortunate incidents.
I once broke a taillight on wife Krista’s vehicle when the mower apparently hurled a rock in that direction.
Part of the glass security door on the front of our house had to be replaced because of another flying rock episode.
And just the other day I was cutting grass with a trimmer when yet another rock went airborne and shattered a window on my vehicle.
Ah, spring. How I do still love this season! If only we humans were as glorious.
