The Arrival of Spring

(Mobile, AL.)  It's been a long time coming, spring!  I cannot tell you how many "freak snow" storms I have survived in North Alabama this season. There simply have been too many to count.  I would be among the first to proclaim "I don't remember Huntsville, Alabama being this cold several years ago!"  I think with all of the super storms this season, everyone is now paying attention to former Vice President Al Gore. For years he has warned the world is in danger because of all of the damage being done to the ozone.

The "wacky winter weather is something we would all just as soon forget,except too many of us are still digging our way out. 

The Presidential Inauguration of Barak Obama was a chilly reminder of our record freezing temperatures for 2013.. Days leading up to the inauguration my family and friends from Washington, D.C. to Connecticut, to  New York City were buried under several inches of snow and they couldn't put on enough layers to counter act the frostbite forming in their fingers and toes.  

This year was truly confirmation for me,  “I am indeed a beach bunny to my heart.”  Give me the ‘sand and surf‘ any day before a hat, gloves and a Northeaster.  It simply would not survive cities like Detroit or Chicago. 

I relocated to North Alabama briefly for a number of entertainment projects and for the longest I couldn't get my day started because I woke up to temperatures of 22 or 32 degrees.  What the what?  Who wants to take a morning jog wearing four layers of clothing and an overcoat?

I think my family and I collective exhaled at the first sign of a "budding" azalea  in my parents front yard last week. The brightly colored petals are a "vivid reminder" of the explosion of color yet to come.

I cannot wait until it is warm enough to take a run in the park; enjoy a bike ride or perhaps enjoy an occasional swim.

If you haven't guessed yet, spring is my favorite time of the year.  It brings forth my favorite flowers tulips and magnolias. Tulips, like the Magnolia are prized for their form and color, but also for their fragrance.  Though allergy sufferers will strongly disagree, I feel both flowers are a Gulf Coast treasure and a mental cue of the “rebirth”and "new" opportunities that come with the new season. 

Here's to all the "winter weary warriors" out there that are willing to join me in my quest of not waiting until overnight Saturday to “spring” our clocks ahead one hour.  If I had my way, we would turn the clocks back on what I have affectionately dubbed as “Friday Eve.”  If you haven’t figured that one out, that folks is Thursday.  Ah spring!  Gotta love it!  We lose an hour of sleep, but its a worthwhile trade off for an additional hour of daylight.