Shift Into Spring

By Preston Young

Spring is upon us, and we can welcome warmer weather and brighter days and if you’re anything like me, you wish that allergies didn’t come with warmer weather but that doesn’t lessen the excitement for this time of year. Flowers are starting to bloom, birds are beginning to chirp, and the beauty is alive in nature (Let’s hope we don’t get an unexpected April snowstorm). Spring can be seen as a kind of new beginning for us all, whether that means you’ll be outside more now that we have longer sunlight, you’ll be doing a huge spring cleaning, you’re looking forward to outdoor sports or you just enjoy warmer weather! For me, it’s a combination of it all.

As soon as the first rays of sun show up, we become motivated to move again and for many of us, spring comes with a complete spring clean at home. Old and no longer needed possessions are sorted out, cupboards are cleared out and cleaned and furniture is moved around. There’s a reason most towns offer bulk trash pickup at the end of April! Cleaning out your house comes with this sense of satisfaction that your home is now clean for the warmer months. During the winter months, we become less motivated and the last thing I want to be doing while cold is cleaning out my basement. So, we wait for spring!

Now my favorite part of spring, baseball! Growing up spring meant it was time for my baseball cleats, glove, and pants to come out. The first couple weeks of spring baseball were always quite chilly but being that excited to be back out on the diamond, the cold didn’t bother me. North Haven has always had a great youth baseball program, even the nights I didn’t have a game, I wanted to be at the baseball fields. There’s just something about the smell of freshly cut grass, clean dirt, bubble gum and sunflower seeds that excites me. Now, I get that same excitement for the MLB. For a couple of months, I was afraid we would not have an MLB season due to the player association and the league not agreeing on terms but here we are, MLB opening day is tomorrow! Walking through the tunnel gives me this warm and fuzzy feeling that I don’t often get, seeing the grass for the first time always makes me smile along with cheering in unison with the people sitting next to me. I enjoy the balls and strikes and the strategy and watching the pitcher get out of a jam and speculating about when the coach is going to pull the pitcher. I love close games where every mistake, walk, hit, and even foul ball can make a difference. Baseball is back!

If you read my last newsletter, you know I love tinkering with my jeep and spring gives me more of the opportunity to do this. Being outside with a project in front of me while listening to music are some of my favorite days. Along with, hiking and giving Mason the opportunity to let out some energy. If there is one thing I have learned about Mason over the past year, it’s that he needs to be active! Going on a long walk or hike will put him out the rest of the day but there’s nothing like seeing how happy he is while being active. 

It appears my favorite hobbies and interests revolve around warmer weather so if you see me with a smile on my face, you know why! Let’s say farewell to winter and let’s welcome spring with open arms. 

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