My friend Janet says, “It’s nice to live in a place with four seasons.” New York might be such a place—but the seasons aren’t necessarily the same length.
Like all (or most) of America, New York experienced an especially long winter. The Vernal Equinox came and went without much fanfare. While March 20 is the official first day of Spring, that doesn’t always seem to be the case. Rather, there is usually some moment, when people feel, “Ah! Spring is finally here!” It might be Palm Sunday or the Easter Parade, but at some point, the inevitable happens.
Personally, I believe the spring erupted this week. For the first time this year, we enjoyed a sustained number of days—pretty much the entire work week—with seasonal temperatures. On a few days, like today, it was unseasonably warm. To celebrate the turning of the seasons, the flowering trees, cherry blossoms and forsythia, and such, suddenly bloomed. Flower boxes and beds with daffodils, tulips, hyacinth, and pansies were in full glory. And residents, having been cooped up for quite a long winter, took to the streets and parks. Yes, it seemed that everyone was out. On my walk home just last night, I spied two luminaries of some note: former Speaker Newt Gingrich and his wife on Fifth Avenue and Woody Allen (complete with his signature hat) with his young wife Soon-Yi Previn, strolling along the Park. It’s been a long time coming.
Enjoy a few glimpses of the arrival of spring!