Springtime

The most famous of all the seasons. A time when strangers meet as icy hearts turn from frozen to inflamed, and new families are born inside happy homes and freshly dug holes in the ground. The gentle hand of the solar hearth comes closer everyday, inspiring all others to approach their distant lovers and embrace the one saving grace in the universe. Spring is one of the four temperate seasons, the transition time between winter and summer. Spring and "springtime" refer to the season, and also to ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth. The specific definition of the exact timing of "spring" varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. In spring, the axis of the Earth is increasing its tilt toward the Sun and the length of daylight rapidly increases for the relevant hemisphere. The hemisphere begins to warm significantly causing new plant growth to "spring forth," giving the season its name. Snow, if a normal part of winter, begins to melt, and streams swell with runoff. Frosts, if a normal part of winter, become less severe. In climates that have no snow and rare frosts, the air and ground temperature increases more rapidly. Many flowering plants bloom this time of year, in a long succession sometimes beginning even if snow is still on the ground, continuing into early summer. In normally snowless areas "spring" may begin as early as February (Northern Hemisphere) heralded by the blooming of deciduous magnolias, cherries, and quince, or August (Southern Hemisphere) in the same way.