Our Sure Signs of Spring

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The soundtrack of backyard wiffle ball, basketballs bouncing on the driveway, competitive laps around the house, and soccer goals being scored

Neighbor kids congregate in our backyard and in our driveway

A rising water bill with required frequent showers

Countdowns for school ending

Mud clods accidentally tracked inside

First tastes of shaved ice for the year

Walks in the woods while kicking down mayapples and swinging sticks like machetes

Overflowing laundry baskets

Cheers and shouts echo through open windows

Neglected jackets hung in the entryway

Knees and legs bare scrapes and scratches

Freckles that appear the more the sun shines

Late fire pit nights

Dirty fingernails from planting in the garden

Sweaty head, fresh air, mowed grass aromas fill the air

Stretched bedtimes, because it’s simply too hard to end a perfect day with the sun still shining

Temperatures that couldn’t be more perfect

Spring is the first delightful sip of summer.