More Signs of Spring

Even though we have temperatures in the 20s this Sunday morning, I keep running into more and more signs of Spring. Last week, I saw the first advertisement for fertilizer in the big LOWES ad supplement. We also had a visitor in studio who reminded me that the season is near. Rob Yordi, with Busch Gardens, was in town with a bunch of animals to remind us of all of the conservation work that Busch Gardens does, and to also remind us that they open their doors on March 21st.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Rob as he brought out several different animals. There was the iguana, the alligator, the macaw, the armadillo, a huge rabbit and a boa constrictor. I held several of the animals myself. I feel very lucky at the opportunities that I sometimes get. The macaw that was on my arm is a big bird, but he waves and says "hello", so I was pretty fascinated. The boa constrictor had a firm grip of my arm, but wasn't squeezing to hurt me, just to hold on.


We were also reminded on Saturday afternoon of the impending seasonal change with the severe weather that hit the area. Winds as high as 68 mph, hail as large as 1" in diameter and numerous reports of wind damage are all signs of spring. Also, tree pollen has been in the high range this past week. Not fun for allergy sufferers.

Personally, I prefer the beauty of the flowers and the pleasantly warm days that Spring brings over the severe weather. One more reminder of Spring, The Cherry Blossoms are likely to be in peak bloom the final week of March into the first few days of April. That was announced this week at a pres conference that featured Robert Defeo of the National Park Service. Rob has been the chief horticulturist and main cherry blossom forecaster for years and every year he makes a fairly accurate prediction.