Spring has finally arrived in the Goulais River! Let me hear a w00t! Yes, I'm always excited when Old Man Winter finally moves on to visit other parts of the world. I jump for joy when Mistress Spring hurries Jack Frost back into his frozen lair. I have been celebrating this buzz of activity alot lately and that has been the reason for my absence in the blogosphere. Well also, I've been trying desperately to enjoy as much outdoor time as possible before the arrival of the dreaded Canadian Plague....the black fly! I've been walking on my pleasant country road (no encounters with any bears yet), exploring the beach and frigid waters of Lake Superior, planting a massive vegetable garden with friends and barbecuing large quantities of meat (sorry to my vegetarian and vegan friends).

Celebrating the arrival of spring has a long and storied history all around the globe. Like the celebration of the harvest at the end of the growing season. Most North Americans will be familiar with the ancient Celtic May Day celebrations falling half a year after November 1st and marking the end of the winter months. In India the Festival of Colours celebrates the arrival of spring with a rather raucous party in which people toss coloured powder and water on each other! (Here is the link where I got the info and found some wonderful pics of one such event http://www.sacbee.com/static/weblogs/photos/2009/03/020749.html). For many coffee drinking Canadians, Roll Up the Rim to Win at Timmies is a clue that the cold winter is on its way out. Spring is a time for being thankful for surviving the harsh winter months and preparing for another working and growing season.

Spring can also be a time for personal reflection as it has been for me this year. I moved up here last November with a mixture of all sorts of emotions - excitement, dread, fear, anticipation. The winter months that followed were a time for learning, some difficulty, stretching and ultimately growth. It also reminds me of what God can do for us, if we let him. We need times of darkness, winter so that rebirth and change can occur. Just like we need the darkness of the cross and those days after the crucifixion so we can experience the glory and grace of the resurrection.

I'm looking forward to the coming months. All around my house is life. We've seen and heard more types of birds than I will ever be able to identify. We've fed the birds and the squirrels. We've watched hares run all around our backyard and come to the deck. Flowers and trees all around me are in full bloom. As I mentioned before I'm experiencing a real sense of community as we work together with another couple in planting a vegetable garden. I'm letting go of old pains, baggage that has weighed me down for years. I'm pursuing new adventures. I'm learning to love others truly for who they are. I'm being me, no matter how counter it is to who I have been in the past. Could this be the freedom that God talks about giving us?