Spring in the midwest is very different than spring in Oakland. Even though I missed most of the Midwestern winter, I am able to appreciate the onset of spring. The biggest differences between our new hometown and Spring in Moline are the greening of the grass and the leafing of the trees. Oh, and also the popping up of bulbs and perennials like hostas and bleeding hearts. It seems like you could see them growing for the past couple of days. The green leaves of the poppies next to our old front walk have grown about three inches in the past few days. The bleeding hearts next to the back door are growing even faster. (If you’re looking for a home with lots of charm in the Quad Cities, let us know — we have one that’s still for sale. UPDATE: if you’re interested, you can see a gallery of photos of the house here »)
The landscape here in Moline is quickly brightening from brownish gray to green. Birds seem to be thrilled with the change. There’s a lot more chirping, and the seesawing call of the cardinal can be heard all afternoon. Yesterday we had some whopping thunderclaps, and the National Weather Service announced a tornado watch for a few hours in the late evening.
The transition from winter to spring in Oakland is more subtle—perhaps because the winter in Oakland is so subtle. During my short winter stay in the Bay Area I never had to put on a heavy coat, rode my bike nearly every day, and enjoyed gardening and green plants on the front terrace. By the time I hopped on the train at the beginning of March, to head to Illinois, the winter seemed to have ended.
I’m glad to have had a mild winter in Oakland, but I’m also happy to be getting a dose of spring here in the Mississippi Valley of Illinois. This just never gets old.
