As the long winter draws to a close, we begin to look forward to the arrival of spring. So you want to quickly take off your heavy outerwear, expose your face to the warm rays of the sun, breathe in the aroma of blossoming buds! And therefore, with such joy, we celebrate even the most subtle signs of spring. Every slightest change in nature resonates in the soul with joy and hope for its quick complete victory.
The first signs of spring in inanimate nature
The most basic sign, of course, is connected with the calendar, which cannot be deceived in any way. Even if “spring is late” and there are still deep snows in the yard, and people walk around in winter clothes, we still feel its approach. After all, the day is gradually increasing, and the nights are getting shorter, and even somehow lighter.
The rays of the sun are already starting to warm the earth in a new way. And this is understandable: our planet has slightly turned towards the sun, and now its rays do not slide along a tangent, but fall at an angle that increases every day. That's why the temperatureair is getting higher.
The sky takes on a special rich blue color, it seems to be bottomless. Although sometimes no, no, and it will drag it out with heavy lead clouds, which will suddenly sprinkle snow mixed with rain on the ground.
Spring will come - the snow will melt
From the heat, thawed patches appear on the snow cover, icicles also melt. “Winter is crying,” the old people say. “He doesn’t want to leave us!” And the ringing drops notify us of the arrival of springtime in the first place. These are undoubtedly the first visible signs of spring.
Snow in those places where the sun's rays do not fall, loosens, becomes spongy, darkens. If you look closely, you can see how steam rises from the surface of the already opened earth. And now the streams, murmuring merrily, run along the land. This sound cannot be compared or confused with anything, it's like the magic music of a new life!
And what can compare with the special smell of the spring wind, when it, so fresh and gentle, blows towards you? And all because it is filled with the smells of damp earth, melted snow, blossoming buds, young grass.
The arrival of spring in the plant world
Young grass beginning to break into God's light and buds swollen on trees and bushes meet the new spring season.
Outside the city, near any body of water, alder grows, which, with its budding sprouts, will show that spring has come. This definition is suitable for black alder, in which the knobs are held on stalks.
Visually, this can be defined as follows:if the alder crown has acquired a light red color, then this is evidence of the onset of spring, since the crown is transparent in winter.
Gradually, the kidneys turn into red earrings - they come out of the sleep phase and absorb the power of the spring sun. Their growth is very noticeable. When the earrings reach full growth, they form scales with pollen, which flies off from a gust of wind, forming a cloud of golden dust!
The signs of spring are also indicated by the pollen of gray alder, which, waiting for a favorable moment, begins to fly in the air from the action of the spring sun.
Following the alder, hazel begins to bloom, and then aspen with willow. The trees seem to be arranging a competition to see who will release their leaves first towards a new life.
And almost everyone admired the fluffy "seals" of the willow - even the holiday "Palm Sunday" is dedicated to them.
The coltsfoot flower proves that the signs of spring in nature are manifested not only in the flowering of trees. This plant can be found on soils near rivers or reservoirs, as well as in ravines. A moisture-loving coltsfoot has the peculiarity of releasing flowers first, and only then leaves. Seeing the cheerful yellow lights of the flowers of this medicinal plant, it is safe to say that spring has come into its own!
The humble mimosas are the first to remind people of spring. No wonder they are the symbol of the women's holiday on March 8.
And how not to remember about snowdrops, fluffy and tender sprouts of which make their way to the air through melted snow? Samothe combination of flowers and snow gives the arrival of spring a fabulous touch, as an anticipation of something new and joyful.
And along with snowdrops, forest violets, snapdragons, blueberries, wild carnations and many other flowers appear in meadows and forests. Unfortunately, people do not protect them and ruthlessly exterminate them for the sake of several days of enjoying their aroma and beauty.
Birds in spring
And what else says about the onset of the most beautiful time of the year? What signs of spring are known?
Of course, these are birds that sing in all voices. They notify others that spring is coming. The very first bird that begins to praise spring is the wagtail. They also say about her that she “brings spring on her tail.”
After her, you can hear the singing of starlings. The arrival of birds from warm lands marks the beginning of a new period in the year, and these are the eternal signs of spring.
Rooks are already walking importantly along the thawed patches, looking for larvae and insects crawling out of the ground to the warmth in the ground.
Swifts and swallows flashed in the air - they also have a serious task. After all, they need time to build nests, lay eggs and start breeding.
Insects in spring
After the snow melts, the ground begins to warm up, and the wintering insects under it also wake up. Ants crawl out, bugs, flies wake up. And now the first moths and butterflies are increasingly beginning to catch the eye.
Spring greeting by animals
But the signs of spring are notonly physical manifestations of animate and inanimate nature, but also a general joyful mood, some kind of special uplift. This can be seen even in animals (how can you not remember the funny tricks of cats?). As they say: "Cats are yelling - March has come."
Almost all animals molt in the spring, changing their fluffy winter outfit for a lighter one - spring. Forest dwellers also manage to change the color of their fur coats: squirrels turn from blue-gray to bright red, hares turn from white to gray. The color of the skin also changes in mice, otters, ground squirrels, marmots, jerboas, wolves, foxes.
Even pets shed, however, their color in most cases remains the same, because they do not need to hide to save their lives.
People's activities
And a person's life changes dramatically with the onset of spring. This is especially noticeable in rural areas. After all, you need to start preparing for landings. So people are clearing the land. And where the earth has already dried up, they dig it up.
After the cold weather, you can already remove the insulation from the windows, and at the same time you can wash the glass. Yes, and warm blankets, along with fur coats and hats, felt boots and boots, “move” to the mezzanines and pantries. And from there they take out demi-season clothes, light blankets, shake them out of the dust, and dry them in the sun. And although there are now many technical improvements that allow you to do all this at home without taking your clothes and bed outside, some still expose pillows and mattresses in the sun in the old fashioned way, hang blankets and coats on ropes.
And somehow it goes without saying thatthis occupation turns into “general cleaning of the home”. Therefore, an unspoken rule has been established since the distant past: in the spring, clean the premises. Well, at the same time, clean up the territory, otherwise a lot of dirt and debris crawled out from under the melted snow. And the soul so asks for purity and joy, light and goodness!
It's not for nothing that spring is called the period of awakening, because this period marks only love and warmth!
