I know it is finally spring because today we made our first visit to the local garden shop, went for a drive and stopped for gelato. You can’t rely on the calendar to tell you it is spring. After all, it was proclaimed on the calendar some time ago. No, in Edmonton garage sales are a better confirmation of the arrival of a new season than the date on the calendar.

When I arrived in Edmonton 35 years ago I expected to see crocuses peeking their heads through the snow on March 15th. In Kansas that was a marker I used. I was terribly homesick when I realized the local crocuses would never make an appearance in March. Over the years I have developed a new set of criteria for spring in Edmonton.

I am no longer melancholy in March because by then I can clearly see that the days are getting longer. I don’t worry about snow in April because I have experienced snow in every month since I have lived here. I am pretty confident that April snow is transient.

This year it seems like spring has been long in coming. We were tempted by some lovely days only to see the return of cold weather. Gary began cleaning up the yard but could not complete the task because of snow and cold. Our young dog Deirdre enjoyed frolicking in the grass only to be surprised by a new cover of snow. We were all experiencing a longing for some relief from the long winter.

The gods conspired to create the perfect spring weekend eventually. It happened just as the annual quilt guild garage sale was scheduled. On Wednesday we began setting up for the sale. My garage was bitterly cold. We stood outside to warm up. As each day passed it warmed slightly until the glorious sale day arrived. It was warm and the sun shone down making both sellers and buyers just a little giddy.

At the end of the sale day my face was sunburned but I didn’t care. I was happy to have spent the day outside with my friends.

On Sunday morning Gary announced that he was going for his bike ride first thing. That way he said we would have time for an outing. If the successful garage sale had not confirmed the arrival of spring, this surely did.

After lunch we drove to Wellington Gardens for a walk about. This lovely garden center is a destination spot for us. It is so pretty we like to visit even when we don’t need to buy anything. We strolled through the grounds pausing to look at wooly thyme, commenting on the new varieties of annuals we noticed and wondering if we could figure out how to raise some prairie grasses this year. Afterward we went for a drive through an unfamiliar part of the city. On our way home we stopped for gelato at our favorite spot.

Now there is no doubt that it is spring.

© C O P Y R I G H T   2 0 0 9.  Mary Sullivan Holdgrafer ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.