It's the first day of spring and the sun is shining, it's Sunday and the words 'With a hey and a ho and a hey nonny no' are on my lips!!
If they are on yours too you will know they come from Shakespeare's As You Like it, Act 5 Scene 3
It was a lover and his lass,
With a hey and a ho and a hey nonny no,
That o'er the green cornfield did pass
In springtime, the only pretty ring time
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding ding
Sweet lovers love the spring.
We all love the spring. The warmth in the sun and the blossom brightening up the countryside.
Here in the northern hemisphere it's spring and easy to think about re-birth and starting anew and freshening up your life.
In the southern hemisphere it is the first day of Autumn and so the weather will be colder and the days shorter. If you think about it though every day is like spring, the sun rises every morning and gives us a chance to start afresh, make amends, make more of an effort.
Traditionally spring was a time to have a good clean and clear the clutter. Our homes are easier to keep clean all year round though now, with electricity and washing machines. It's still a time to freshen up your home though, a coat of paint and a thorough clean of heavy carpets and curtains.
I always love being part of getting everything ready for summer. The opening up of a beach bar, the preparation of boats for the tourists. We are at the beginning of the season, the whole spring and summer in front of us, so it's time to invest in preparations.
Mother Nature doesn't need a lick of paint though, every year she brings out the blossom, dazzling white and tender pink. Butterflies and garden birds stand out against the blossom. The new shoots are a brilliant shade of green. Oh yes, with a hey and a ho and a hey nonny no. I haven't a clue what Shakespeare meant but it sure sounds happy and puts a spring in your step.
As does this song from the Beatles
 |
| Boats are freshly painted to greet the spring |
 |
| Hawthorn decks the countryside |
 |
| Butterflies wings stand out against the blossom |
 |
| Magnolia, the princess of the blossom |
Oh how beautiful! Thank you for this, Angela! Do you really have all that blossom already? And that harbour looks delightful...where is it? A lovely and inspiring post. I so agree that nature doesn't need our help with paint. Spring is too lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your kind comments Val. The harbour is at Lake Garda in Northern Italy. the magnolia, hawthorn and forsythia is all out here. x
Delete