There are pearls of wisdom spoken by a sagacious person in the distant past that resurface time and again as situations arise. As this spring is taking its sweet time to fully blossom, two such sayings reappeared to me.
“Getting out of the back seat of a 1965 Ford Mustang is like being ‘born again,’” said in jest by an old friend, who has been gone for many years. Her reference was to a baby’s difficult emergence into the world through a narrow birth canal. If you’ve ever climbed out of that classic car’s back seat, you will chuckle remembering the struggle to extract yourself from the low-lying seat.
Spring is a time of rebirth, as the dormant flora wake up and poke their little spring green heads through the thawing ground. The color “spring green” is a special shade (even given to a paint color) that evokes the delicacy of rebirth. Soon the plants will shoot up and offer the first colorful blooms of spring — yellow bells, blue bells, spring beauties, buttercups, and shooting stars. After a long, dark winter, these tiny colorful flowers bring joy to our hearts and a promise of warm, bright days to come. Another adage we can count on: April showers bring may flowers.
Bunnies always appear as a symbol of spring and especially in association with spring holidays. Bunny rabbits are known for their proliferation, so much so that there is an expression: “Rabbits proliferate like, well, rabbits.” The phrase “mad as a March hare” refers to the bucks of the rabbit colony, which begin experiencing raging hormones early in the spring. In about a month, the does give birth to as many as 14-15 bunnies in a fluffle.
Spring’s rebirth is marked by new life appearing in all the valley’s fauna. Baby lambs, calves, and colts bring smiles to our faces with their frolicking joy. Wildlife offspring are more elusive, but, for sure, fawns, cubs, kits and calves are making their way into the world.
Our valley life is being “born again.”
The second truism that I have thought of frequently was also spoken to me many years ago: “Holidays are a way of marking the passage of time.” Not only holidays, but key dates, including those of great sadness, remind us that time marches on inexorably, but also yearly events bring us familiarity and continuity.
Spring holidays have come and gone, but other annual spring occurrences mark the passage of another year.
We are again reminded of spring trail tips by Methow Trails: Give the trails time to dry out. Prevent dogs from chasing wildlife all year, but especially when young fawns are emerging in the spring. Check summer map for specific trails and allowed users (winter and summer trails differ) before determining where to go. Stay on the trail.
Mazama Community Club’s annual membership drive is in full swing. Visit mazamacommunityclub.org to join for reasonable $30 yearly dues. Memberships are the primary source of funding to maintain the century old schoolhouse, including utilities, snowplowing, and maintenance.
Annual spring cleanup will take place on Saturday, April 22, from 9 a.m.-noon. Volunteers rake, garden, paint, and clean every year to keep the facility in tiptop shape. Bring gloves, garden tools, wheelbarrows, buckets and cleaning supplies if you can help.
The club continues to offer game night on every third Tuesday from 7-9 p.m. Bring Scrabble or other board games and enjoy the company of fellow community members. As soon as the last of the snow recedes, pickleball will resume on the club’s court. There are still a few mailboxes available to rent for Mazama residents west of Weeman Bridge.
Follow-up: Don Ashford provided the name of the artist for the rendition of “We’re All Gonna Die” that he has played on KTRT: Antsy McClain and the Trailer Park Troubadours. Listen, if you get a chance.
