Journey North International Plant Study

What Springtime Means to Us
Students from Redoubt Elementary in Soldotna, AK
(Written February, 2005)

Spring Means Losses

Students share from Soldotna, AK

For many of us, spring means the loss of snow: no more snowmen, snowball fights, snow-machining, sledding, snowboarding, skiing, snowstorms, and (thankfully) no more snowsuits, mittens, hats and boots!

Spring Also Brings New Things
The arrival of spring (that's in April and May, mind you) brings: bike riding, dirt bike, 4-wheeler and 3-wheeler riding, melting snow, mud and rain, the start of construction projects (road, house, treeforts), lighter clothing, more daylight (which also means going to bed in the daylight), and boating when the lakes open up in May. Trees start leafing out by mid-May, and the lawn mowing starts in June.

Early Spring and “Break-up”
Early spring is my least favorite season here because of all the mud. For good reason, that time of year is called "break-up." Gravel roads disintegrate, tar roads have potholes, there's not enough snow for skiing, the ice on the lakes is too mushy for skating and trails are too muddy from melting snow for running and biking. Also, spring is usually a dry season, so the leftover grime from the winter doesn't get washed away, and fire danger is high.

Late Spring
But, once we make it to late May and June, the weather is usually glorious, the green grass reduces fire danger, and the flowers start blooming.

So, we're wishing for six more weeks of good winter, and a quick and easy "break-up!"