I check Facebook with the sound of hammering in the background. Jamie is in the yard removing the legs to the dock. He needs to put new legs on for the summer season, these are too short. I just finished raking about a half hour ago. I’ve had enough for one day. I used to be “outdoorsy” but prefer the company of my computer as the tapping keyboard lulls me away. It’s time for the spring cleanup and my mind is still frozen in the Winter.
I do prefer the Spring to Winter, but this time of year is a waiting game. The dredges of the last season are scattered on our lawn. Leaves, branches and twigs remind us of the toll our trees payed over the cold biting Winter. Acorns crunch as I walk across the lawn, soon to be mulched by the lawnmower. Should I think about buying flowers? Not yet, I decide, as the temperatures are still too turbulent. The Sun is beginning to be our ally again though, melting the Spring snow quickly and giving us some warmth as we do our chores. I cringe when I look at the empty flower pots, thinking about the work to come. But, the thought of lazy summer days and the beauty of the blossoms melts my heart.
We wait for our boat to show up from the boat yard, so we continue to spend our free time picking up and unpacking. No snow in the forecast this week. I still don’t feel like there’s any progress, as I look at the calm lake. The lawn looks better, but the dock still sits above the shoreline waiting to be put in the water. Temperatures will be cold tonight. The boat will be here in two weeks, but it feels like an eternity.
I type with my feet wrapped in layers of warmth, just thinking about shorts and flip flops – and no more cleanup. The stripped down ease of the Summer engages my mind to wander. Why does this transition to Spring bother me so much? I don’t mind the work; it’s just the anticipation of Summer that gets me out of sorts. Transitions are neither here nor there. They are usually a placeholder for better or worse things to come.
I know that this Summer will be fantastic entertaining our friends and family. Until we put away the boat, and start raking leaves in the crisp Autumn air, waiting for Winter to come.
And so it begins. There is a ton of work getting paradise ready for the coming summer. Life on Hickory Hills is glorious this time of year and all the little chores lead to “Lake Livin and Sunset Cruises” Unlike the glum task of closing it down each fall, this work is a labor of love, even if my partner gets distracted easily and heads inside to keep y’all up to date.
💝💗💟💓💕😘