“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” – Charles Dickens, Great Expectations
“Everything is blooming most recklessly; if it were voices instead of colors, there would be an unbelievable shrieking into the heart of the night.” – Rainer Maria Rilke
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – The spring season has always inspired hope and joy with its abundance of life and luminosity.
Spring's resurgence of tulips, butterflies and robins is heartwarming and reaffirming.
The first day of spring, or the vernal equinox, in 2015 occurred on March 20 at 3:45 p.m.
This astronomical event happens when our star, the sun moves across the celestial equator alongside the ecliptic, otherwise known as the path of the sun.
The vernal season brings about great change in vegetation here in Lake County. It seems that the trees and shrubs “green up” over night, and that one day the oaks are lifeless looking masses of intertwining branches, then, before you know it they are decked out in their new spring finery, practically glowing with fresh, green growth of the season.
Although we did not really experience much of a winter season at all this year, temperature-wise and rain-wise, it is truly inspiring to witness the annual event of spring.
As if playing Joseph Haydn's “Variations on a Theme,” Mother Nature's palette of green tones is astounding – almost overwhelming!
Take the green of a newly emergent oak leaf. It is a succulent and moist green treat, and tender to the touch. The olive green of a hound's tongue leaf contrasts itself to the lime green of fresh-from-the-ground vetch.
Tender new growth of the wild rose plants stands out from the shades of emerald tree moss. Yet another shade of green begs to be noticed on the nearby moss decorating the rocks.
Talk of all things green brings to mind “the wear'n of the green” on Saint Patrick's Day (March 17).
Wearing green on this day is said to have come about when, around 1640, the green harp flag was put into use by the Irish Catholic Confederation.
Then, sometime during the 1670s the Irish began to honor the Friendly Brothers of St. Patrick.
Now it's a custom to wear green accessories or shamrocks on St. Patrick's Day to honor the story that speaks of St. Patrick having used a three-leaved plant or shamrock to depict the Holy Trinity for the pagan Irish.
Then, three was an especially significant number for the Irish since they included several triple deities in their culture.
The term, “lucky clover” has been attributed to the four-leaf clover, and is actually an unusual variant of the more frequently seen three-leaved clover.
Astronauts on NASA's International Space Station got into the spirit of St. Patrick's Day awhile back. You can view a tribute to the holiday on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX-5n_YcxgQ .
Kathleen Scavone, M.A., is an educator, potter, writer and author of “Anderson Marsh State Historic Park: A Walking History, Prehistory, Flora, and Fauna Tour of a California State Park” and “Native Americans of Lake County.” She also writes for NASA and JPL as one of their “Solar System Ambassadors.” She was selected “Lake County Teacher of the Year, 1998-99” by the Lake County Office of Education, and chosen as one of 10 state finalists the same year by the California Department of Education.