Early Morning Walks in Spring

I was out the door just before 7 am this morning. It was already 60°F. I wore shorts because I wear shorts when the temperature is above 55°F. It felt wonderful out. It always feels good to go on early morning walks in spring¹. After being cooped up indoors, with the heat running or a fire in the fireplace for most of the winter, the fresh air of an early spring morning is particularly refreshing.

Sunday mornings make for quiet walks, especially early. People sleep in later around here on Sundays. I expected to see lots of people out, given how nice it was, but for the first half of my walk, I saw only a single person and dog. The bike path on which I walk was otherwise deserted. It was just me and George Dyson who was talking about the evolution between analog and digital worlds.

People may have been nestled snug in their beds, but the birds were out in force, another sign of early spring. I could see some of them, but hear many more. The woodpeckers, in particular, were in top pecking form, ready to beat their beaks against the bark after the long, cold winter. Listening to George Dyson talk about the analog and digital worlds, and then hearing the percussion of the woodpeckers, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were sending some kind of signal to one another, or perhaps they were just as grateful for the spring as I was. I’ve frequently said it is hard to apprecite the spring without the winter.

Later, while on my walk home, Dyson was talking about time in the analog sense and the digital sense. It occurred to me, while listening to Dyson, that one of our strange quirks of time was almost upon us–Daylight Saving time–certainly another sign of spring. Daylight saving time begins here on the east coast in a week. It means it will be darker in the early morning again, at least temporarily, but lighter later.

More people were on the bike path on my return home. Runners were out running. Dogs were out walking their people. I imagine the park will grow increasingly crowded as the day wears on. It is supposed to be close to 70°F today, and nearly 77°F tomorrow. It is strange to think that it so warm, especially after returning from our recent ski trip, where the morning temperatures were well below freezing.

I’m already looking forward to my early morning walk tomorrow. There is some rain in the forecast, but it looks like it will hold off long enough to allow me to get in my walk. I always appreciate nature’s little courtesies in this regard.

Written on March 6, 2022.