14 things I love about mud season

As the spring equinox fast approaches, the climate where I live has entered that stage commonly called "mud season." That is where the ground is still frozen hard two or three inches down but the top layer has turned into mud. Very little is blooming or even has leaves and the grass is still asleep and not doing it's job of holding mud in place.  

This is rarely anyone's favorite season. Two reasons come quickly to mind: 1. mud-caked shoes and 2. mud-caked children. Bonus reason: Frequent and unpredictable rain showers.

Image by Arie Farnam

But I actually rather enjoy this season. Here are a few reasons I personally love mud season.

1. The sun has really come back and the days are no longer dark and gray.
2. You can actually feel a faint warmth when the sunlight touches your face.
3. You only need a jacket and can leave some of the winter gear at home, at least around noon.
4. Animals all around are starting to get really happy.
5. The smell of mud and melting snow is dizzying.
6. The few flowers that do come up now are among the prettiest and smallest and you can actually find them because nothing else is growing.
7. Eggs and more eggs.
8. The sun is up when the kids go to school.
9. My greenhouses are lovely and thawed now and I can play in them and pretend that it's true spring.
10. Did I mention the sun?
11. The air is cleaner in our smoggy area than at any other time of the year.
12. The birds come back all of the sudden and sing in a great chorus in the empty lot of brambles next to us.
13. Flu season is almost over.
14. Anticipating true spring is almost as good as the real thing.

I hope this list may be more amusing than annoying. If you are grumpy about all the mud being tracked into your house or you live someplace so hot and dry that you think we are jerks to complain about mud, I wish you a better-balanced equinox and a gently passing season.