Now that spring is right around the corner and the seed and flower catalogs have started to arrive in the mail, it’s time to think about finally getting outdoors. I am sure I am not the only one that loves spring, the season of rebirth.

When I walk outside in spring, I know my favorite season has arrived. This is when the flowers start growing and the birds start singing. The air smells fresh, buds appear on trees and the grass starts to grow after their long winter slumber.

I think that in winter a good number of people are in some kind of hibernation, I know I am. I go to bed earlier and stay in bed longer.

What’s the point of being up? I can watch television just as easy in bed as I can in my living room. I plod along waiting for warmer weather, cursing the snow and cold. Life becomes slower and people rarely go out for a walk. In spring everything changes. You end up seeing neighbors that you haven’t seen for six months. With the first few warm days, people seem to smile more, because they know that very soon it will be picnic, beach and dust off your bike time.

Spring is neither too cold nor too hot. We have warm days and cool nights. We see the buds swelling on the trees and new leaves start to grow.

The birds were quiet during the winter. But just as soon as spring arrives, they break into song.

Bees buzz and race around in looking for flowers. The mosquitos and the no-see-ums aren’t out yet and you can sit outside without being bugged (pun intended). My wife and I spend a lot of time on our front porch in the spring, she on the porch swing and me in my chair just enjoying the weather.

People wait a long time for spring, for outings as the climate becomes mild, they enjoy picnics, playing sports and just relaxing outdoors during this season. We feel renewed and this is the chief appeal of spring.

The air and the earth is bursting with renewed life, giving us newfound hopes and aspirations. As spring arrives, a gentle breeze begins to blow from the south. It disperses the sweet, sweet smell of flowers and makes the air fragrant.

I think spring is the best season for so very many reasons. You can go to a park and play with your kids or ride your bike, plus you don’t have to wear a coat or hat. You can play fetch with your dog or join a pick-up game of baseball. Think about all of the fun things that happen in the spring like April Fool’s day and Easter.

Not convinced that spring should be your favorite?

Here are some reasons that might make you reconsider. The temperatures become pleasurable and become more moderate and you can say goodbye to the cold winter, the boots, heavy coats and snow shovels. You can enjoy the transition before the hot summer kicks in.

Spring has an increasing amount of daylight. Every day is a few minutes longer. Not only do the clocks turn ahead an hour right before spring but the days get longer and nights get shorter.

After a long, dreary winter, sunshine is the best therapy. Scientific evidence has proven that sunlight exposure boosts your body’s serotonin levels in the brain which causes people to be happier. Sunlight also decreases the volume of melatonin you have during the day and rises it at night. This allows for a better night’s sleep. Sunlight also provides us with Vitamin D. This important vitamin helps strengthen bones and teeth.

With the warmer spring weather, you will no longer have to be indoors relying on heaters to stay warm. You can open your windows and let the fresh air in! I love that the fresh air pushes out the stale, stuffy winter air.

Many animals migrate to the south or hibernate during the winter. When spring comes and things warm up, the animals return. I love watching the Canadian Geese flying overhead, returning from their winter vacation. You can always know that spring is coming when you smell your first skunk of the year.

During spring many of our most popular fruits and vegetables sprout and become ready for us to eat. Spring vegetables include asparagus, peas or artichokes. I used to have a large garden and would cook and eat the beet and spinach thinnings.

If you like to forage, you can find edible dandelions, ramps or wild leeks, and even violets.

Beautiful colors become apparent in many areas as flowers come out of their annual sleep and start blooming and plants and grass turn green. After surviving the cold winter in their dormant state, trees come out of dormancy in the spring and provide us with vibrant and beautiful blooms of red, pink, and orange, among other colors.

Summer is hot and dusty. In fall it is the rainy season and we face the ominous feeling that winter is almost upon us. Spring is the only season that I don’t complain about.

Norbert Rug is a Lockport resident.