The first day of Spring.
Preconceptions had me bounding out of bed. Though it was cold, the lonely kind of cold. Making my way to the kitchen for a home brew, the coffee machine had the remnants of a week old brew, molding away. There was no milk; things had gotten off to a rotten start.
I’d settle for tea, green, the bag kind, it’d hopefully start things fresh as it would accompany me out the door and to the top of the street, where I could check the surf and get excited about warmer weather, and an inviting sea.
There are lots of birds on my street, more specifically plenty of Magpies. This time of year the Magpie is territorial, ready to protect its nest as it nurtures its young into the nicer weather of the season. Statistically, they peck out an Australian eye or two this time of year, and this morning had me nervous as they were swooping. My green tea was swishing out of the cup as my head twisted exorcist-like, surveying the air space with eyes in the back of the head, expecting a vicious attack.
Today, though, it was quite different. Walking past a larger Magpie, almost as big as a chicken, its morning song was replaced with foul croak, lengthy and crook. And now with my attention on this usually ominous bird, we locked eyes for a moment in the dull morning light, just before it fell off its perch and dropped to the road with a thump.
Motionless, the feathered heap would sign and swoop no more, dead.
“Well I’ll be…” I thought to myself, as I stopped my walk, green tea still steaming.
The first day of Spring so far had delivered cold, mold, and death. As I reached the surf checkpoint it was abysmal, weak, onshore with a grey cast and sheet of rain looming. I could only retreat back home, green tea now warm and not so appealing, thinking how Springtime is no time for celebration.
At day’s end, just as the head was switching off with the lamp, my phone lit up with a short text delivering news that a buddy had just had a baby, delivered a few hours previous. And while I was tapping away on the android device I checked the surf forecast and the coming days had promise of a south pulse with good winds.
On the eleventh hour faith was restored in this season. You just have to have a little trust in Spring.
