By Jan Penton-Miller
Columnist
The grand old oak stands with her arms reaching upward to the sky bare of leaves
like a lady in waiting. The snow and winds have left her void of her colorful clothing,
but she stands tall and proud with her limbs gently blowing in the breeze. She has
weathered many winters, and knows that this season is only that. Soon she will be
covered with the lush green new growth that accompanies spring.
The warm days in our area have felt like spring is already here when is actuality
spring of 2025 will officially take place on March 20 th . The vernal equinox marks the
moment the sun crosses the celestial equator. This is the imaginary line in the sky
above the Earth’s equator, from south to north, and it happens on March 19,20, or
21 each year in the Northern Hemisphere.
Most meteorologists will argue that spring begins weeks before on March 1, but I
suppose the official day truly isn’t of much consequence. My walking buddy had on
shorts this morning and by the time our walk ended I was wishing I had opted for
shorts too. That’s our weather in the south; it’s almost hard to believe that a couple
of weeks ago we were enjoying that beautiful snow!
Winnie is resting peacefully by my side. Occasionally she stretches her long sleek
body and lets out a yawn. I have learned that a nice, long walk before I begin writing
helps her, and she hasn’t jumped on top of my computer at all today. Just as I
mentioned her she lifted her head and looked at me with those beautiful brown eyes
as if to ask me if I could possibly hurry it up.
Any time is playtime for Winnie, and she loves her toys. She has healed up very well
from her broken leg, and I’m so grateful for that. For a bit I was so cautious that I
hardly let her run and play, but now she is back to full steam. I do try to be more
careful about where her toys land when I toss them because I certainly don’t want
any more emergency trips to the veterinarian.
My garden club had a seed swap this month, and I was inspired to try to start my
plants from seeds this year. I have been saving egg cartons for this purpose, and I’m
also going to start some in milk jugs. I usually wind up spending a lot of money
every year on my annuals so this may work out to be a fun and money saving
venture.
Winnie is just about over sitting still. She heard a dog a few yards over, and the way
she is barking you would think they were in the house.

I’ll let you guys know how I fare with my seed planting, but hopefully it will be a
relatively simple undertaking. Sunshine, water and a little love should help my
garden grow.