These sunny days are killers.  Sure, they look benign enough, and for a moment, lift the spirits, until you have to walk outside.  They are nothing short of brutal and misleading, which just seems cruel.  At this point, I’ll take the snow over the sub-zero temperatures – clearly, the lesser of two evils, but hope is around the corner.

There’s an old adage that someone brought to my attention that seems to indicate Spring is not so distant.  About a week ago as we were shoveling, I heard the distinct and dulcet tones of birds singing.  I remember it seemed completely incongruent to the environment around me, so I paused to listen.  It wasn’t chirping.  It was singing!  It seemed so out-of-place, a striking contrast to the wintry landscape, so I mentioned it to a few people, and the old saying with scientific proof came to light.  Winter birds, like Chickadees, Woodpeckers and Cardinals are some of the first to announce Spring’s arrival.  According to John Hanson Mitchell, an Editor with the Massachusetts Audubon Society, “the changing light, has a hormonal trigger that starts the birdsong.”  Apparently, our feathered friends have photoreceptors in their brains that record the length of darkness each day.  As the darkness shortens, and days lengthen, birds, just like humans, get spring fever.  So the promise of Spring is real.  Nature says so, and I’m inclined to believe she knows what she’s talking about.

Don’t forget your Valentine this Friday.  If you’re looking for a unique gift, Sweeney’s has the answer, and with Spring approaching, it’s the perfect time to purchase a Sweeney’s gift certificate.  How about a month of mowing, or a beautiful shade tree (installed) for your sweetheart?  You name the denomination, and we’ll do the rest.  Call or email us today!

“Keep a green tree in your heart and perhaps a singing bird will come.”

-Chinese Proverb

Best wishes,

Kim Sweeney

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