Bonnie Brown

By Bonnie Brown 

Columnist

It appears that Mother Nature has once again changed her wardrobe from winter to spring and proceeded headlong into summer.  We have gone from cool temps and much rain to warmer weather and less rain.  

Everything is springing to life–in bloom and very green.  Of course, Mother Nature’s wardrobe will change again soon as she brings on the heat and in Mississippi it’s gonna be HOT.  

When I went outdoors after dark last evening, I could hear all the frogs chirping and Mother Nature’s nocturnal serenade of insects—crickets, katydids, cicadas.  The sounds individually would be minimal but together in their orchestral performance, the sound can be deafening.  

The summer performance is so different from Nature’s quiet winter routine where only the sounds that the wind produces causing branches to sway quietly. In summer, butterflies and bees reappear.  Spending quiet time beneath a canopy of trees can be quite enjoyable.  

So, what can we expect summer to provide?  Well, there’s all the water sports—swimming, skiing, boating, etc.  But there’s lazy days too.  Picnics, camping, and lots of travel.  It’s like we’ve been trapped indoors for the cold-weather months and can only break free after enduring spring chill and rains to enjoy the warmth of the sun.  

We seem to race through summer.  Vacations go by quickly and we are always ready for the next adventure.  We seem to always be planning ahead for fall as it is the time of new beginnings—school resumes, new jobs await, maybe a move to a new nest, and a new season of sports.  

And here we are on the threshold of summer.  Time to change your wardrobe.  Time to play, time to upsize/downsize, time to plan next steps, time to respond to the draw of visiting far-away places, relatives several states away, and yet to find time to read your way through summer and absorb the music that claims your soul and lifts your spirits.  too.  In the quiet of summer, big plans emerge for fall.  

And when autumn suddenly emerges, we are captivated not so much by sounds as by the glorious colors that only Mother Nature can provide.  We are looking upwards so as to catch the colors so vividly portrayed.  The tempo changes.  We get organized and ready for the season that requires planning and purpose.   

Back to school, back to a more structured work environment.  Time to purchase tickets to those highly sought-after athletic events both near and far.  Concerts and other performances to attend with friends and family.  Memories to be made. Halloween and Thanksgiving present themselves and provide transitional celebrations.  More memories to be made.  

When fall rolls on and provides those last few days to be comfortably outdoors, we have already begun planning for winter and the holiday season.  In fact, many of us start planning for the holidays while the air conditioning is still roaring.  

Winter ushers us back indoors for the most part and winks as it also prods us along to plan for holiday celebrations.  Mother Nature has donned her gloomiest wardrobe and the wait until spring has begun.  

But alas, we have holidays that fill our calendars and help to offset the otherwise gloomy weather.  The wait for spring begins as we watch for the first signs of buds and blooms signaling that Mother Nature has once again slipped into her more festive wardrobe.  

Ahh, summer is about to make its official appearance on June 20!  Have a great one!