What do I like about spring? SPRING TRAINING! It's the beginning of baseball season again! I love baseball. I follow the Diamondbacks and the Red Sox, but also enjoy watching the Cubs and the Giants. Because of trades, we may tune into another team's game just long enough to see some of our previously local players perform on their new team. Baseball stands for everything I hold dear...family time together, Patriotism, American pride, singing God Bless America, raising youth with heroes that have worthwhile values, teamwork, hard work, appreciating the fans that make the players' lifestyles possible, giving back to the community - especially the Phoenix Children's Hospital here in AZ, I could go on and on. We start counting down the days til Spring Training as soon as the day the Fall League Championship Game happens. For those who don't experience Fall League, it's where lots of MLB teams send their top 6 prospects and 6 teams are made up of the prospects from 5 different teams. We watched The Rafters team last fall. It was made up of players from the Diamondbacks, Blue Jays, Rockies, Astros, and Marlins. Last fall Jordan and I were able to attend about half the games, our feet resting on the dugout, bringing friends with us, catching the foul balls, and enjoying discounted prices on beverages and burgers. Lots of fun.
Spring also brings a change of flowers. The cacti bloom, the saguaro pops open it's large white flowers for about 2 weeks, and once we hit 100 degrees or close to it for a day or two, the purple jacaranda trees bloom overnight.
Although spring tells us that the heat of summer is coming fast, the "cold spells" that we get make us appreciate those last few cooler days better than anyone else, anywhere else. Today is a good example. It's been in the 90s already, and should be hitting 98/99 degrees in a few days, but today, it's only in the low 60s this morning, the windows are open, it's sprinkling (we haven't seen rain in about 3 months) and the high today isn't supposed to pass 79 for the high today. It's truly a day that makes us get outside while we can.
Spring also brings a change in the grass and lawns. The winter rye grass turns yellow and dies off. Then in early May, the dormant Bermuda grass pokes through and stays hardy all through the heat (if watered appropriately). Right now is that transition time. Ours looks dead. The neighbor with a professional lawn company coming every week has yellow patches in his lawn that was dark green just a few weeks ago. It's a time of transition. It's a reminder that it's a good time for changes. It's about doing what needs to be done (outside) now, and to prepare for staying indoors more during the summer. People always ask if we hate staying in during summer - I ask, "Don't you hate being cooped up in your house all winter long? Driving in snow and ice?" Truthfully, we have about 8 - 10 weeks of heat that's at the top of the thermometer average, but I still think that beats having 5 to 6 months, or 20 - 25 weeks of snow, ice, and frigid cold. I love living in Arizona and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. When it gets too hot, just drive 2 hours north up into the mountains and it's about 20 degrees cooler, perfect for camping.
I have actually found that summer gives me a chance/excuse to stay indoors and do things I don't make time for while it's cooler out. I get to watch baseball on TV when I'm "stuck" inside from the heat. I get caught up on scrapbooking in my new craft room. I get more reading done. I also get to do more crock pot cooking and grilling, which is so much easier and doesn't heat up the whole house. There's lots of places to swim here too if I want to get outside. We're even pretty close to Saguaro Lake if I want a day at the (lake) "beach".
So while lots of people are waiting to plant their flowers, dust off their patio furniture, clean their grills, and see the color green again, I'm just as excited for the transition that we make in AZ.
