Thanks for that poem, Merryworld. I've never experienced a New England spring, being a California girl (San Diego) for most of my life, but I love the poem.

You may have mud in New England in the spring, but you have the most wonderful trees in the world in the autumn - seems like a reasonable swap to me.

One day I'll go and see them.

Martin, we would be glad to have you visit. Spring in New England is just as Robert Frost described it. The early bulbs, the witch hazel in bloom--and snow in the forecast.

Forget about the forecast, it's currently snowing heavily. Winter procrastinated this year and we didn't seem to get into it until February. Now it seems to be refusing to accept its time is up.

Martin, the best time to visit is October and a perfect October day is truly glorious.

Yes, I was thinking John Greenleaf Whittier's "Snowbound" might be a better poem for this spring day in New England. And Merryworld is right. October is definitely our shining hour.

"Oh, suns and skies and clouds of June,
And flowers of June together,
Ye cannot rival for one hour
October's bright blue weather!"
--Helen Hunt Jackson

Ginny, I had to memorize September in the fourth grade; October was in our fifth grade reader. I've always liked both of them.

Isn't it great the way those poems we memorized in school are still in our heads to give pleasure throughout our lives? I don't think my kids ever had to memorize a single poem. Sad.

My Dad could and did recited the poems he had to learn in English class and French class until the day he died (even though he had Alzheimers). As a result, all his children learned them, too. The poem 'Sea Fever' still brings tears to my eyes.

merry, by coincidence I listened to a BBC radio play about the life of the poet John Masefield; very moving.
In English schools his poem Cargoes used to be very popular.
Your Dad's poem is below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Sea Fever

We just returned from a week in Vermont enjoying spring skiing. The skies were brilliant blue without a cloud in sight. It is amazing to find a 48" base of snow at the end of March. The mountain always surprises me with the variety of snow conditions as I descend.....from frozen surfaces at the summit to mashed potatoes at the base!
Four hours south, I returned home to temperatures in the 60's and daffodils ready to burst into bloom!

Within two days we were back in the 30's with snow and frozen puddles.

Spring is a fickle creature here in the northeast!

Thank you for posting the poem, Vee. It's lovely.

I'm not in New England, nor even close to it, but here in Tidewater, Va. we awoke to a lovely snowfall early Easter Saturday. Quite pretty to see the redbud trees in bloom against the white background. Very unusual event for us this late in the season....

Not close to New England either, but the frost last night turned my beautiful lilacs brown. Bah, humbug!

I had to laugh - a friend in Ohio was bummed that the opening day of baseball was going to be snowed in. Here, our opening day was 90 degrees....So is it winter now, or summer? What happened to spring?

A beautiful sunny Easter Sunday morning here although the temps are only in the high 50's.
Sorry to hear about you friend being 'bummed' Cindy. I think we must have a difference in word-usage. Over here the response might be "Never mind, the police can't nick you for it anymore" or "I bet it made his eyes water." The English often have a very basic sense of humour which Americans don't understand.

Here is a very well-known English poem by A E Housman from his 'Shropshire Lad' collection.

"Loveliest of Trees"

LOVELIEST of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

We had freezing morning temps, too. I hate to tell my husband "I told you so", but he'll be replacing the hot peppers he planted a few weeks ago. Pretty soon we'll be complaining about how hot it is and how little rain we've had.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,

....Neither, I would add, are sixty-two!

I have a beautiful rose that blooms only once and for just one week each year.
At first I thought it was such a shame that it lasts for such a short time, and then I realized that it was a kind of metaphor for life's moments.

Parents feel this passing of moments especially keenly.
How can I have spent 20 years with my precious ones and only be able to recall so few moments?

Nature can teach and lead us to the truths of life.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mystery.....today is a gift!

Here in West Texas, we awoke yesterday (Sat) to three inches of snow and more to come. Now it's Sunday and most of the snow has gone, but it's a high of 30. Tues is supposed to 79. This is very strange.

I'm so ready for the weather to warm up, but we have snow in the forecast for Thursday - blech! Maybe I can get the peas and lettuce planted the week after next.

I'm still waiting for spring to show up again. We had it for a few days and then the cold air and snow visited us again. (central New York, just south of the Adirondacks) They are now predicting a possible nasty snowstorm for the end of this coming weekend through Tuesday. sigh.

At least I'll have a chance to go to the library to look for reading material before then.....!