Spring Movement

Every morning now I wake up to the sound of water rushing down the mountain to the lake. My stream is full and noisy. This morning I awoke to birds drowning out the stream with their own chatter, but the water moving off that mountain is the most insistent sign that spring is here.

Everywhere water flows inexorably to the lake. Tiny rivulets thread their way to join others until they form streams everywhere around the lake.

The outlet stream from the lake that hardly moves in summer and is quite still all winter under the snow, is pulsing with life now.







The entire shoreline is watery now and you can see green ice under it. I can hardly wait for the real crack-up when the lake will boom and flex its muscles. Did you know that for about a week after that happens the air will smell like spring because the cold water rushes down to the bottom pushing the mucky lake bottom to the surface?


The mountain side opposite my place has been crumbling for years and in the spring it sends sharp pieces of rock onto the road, making driving hazardous. This year, I realize, it also sends rocks flying into the lake and uproots trees which it throws onto the road. Next year that road will be a walking path.