31 Comments
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Carmen Radley's avatar

Goodness, how different are the places you and I live. How I love hearing about yours ❤️

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Holly Huitt's avatar

Different planets, practically!

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Carmen Radley's avatar

Venus and Neptune? Or Mercury and URANUS?

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Anne Carlisle's avatar

You beautifully describe all the tiny, barely visible changes happening. It's as if, by April, the winter cloak that I have worn for so long has become so habitual to my body that I don't expect to be able to heave it off till May….but wait! the scent of that breeze! the little green fuzz of a chive!

Thank you for your writing….

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Holly Huitt's avatar

I just spotted some chive tendrils today! There is hope yet...

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Mary P.'s avatar

Thanks for sharing Spring , Holly. 🌷☀️🌷

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Robin Denning's avatar

When I was 20 I had a horse and you reminded me of how it was. Thank you. Deliciously descriptive storytelling

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Claudia's avatar

Holly, April is the cruelest month after all. Take everything you've said so beautifully and substitute Maine but multiply by 10 at least. That's my spring world. But I still love it, we can't help ourselves. Beautifully written.Claudia Staberg

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Holly Huitt's avatar

I sometimes tease my husband that if we keep having seasonally warm winters (this one was nice and snowy, thankfully), we're heading to Maine next. I'm working on loving spring but I deeply love winter.

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Claudia's avatar

Me, not so much. loving winter) But I've just spent 6 weeks in California where I have family and still they can't persuade me to leave Maine!

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Nancy Allen's avatar

I love the visual you created using the shed comb on your horse assuming nothing would result. We had a Siberian husky that would shed like that well before I felt or saw signs. It’s remarkable. Thank you for a wonderful story.

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Holly Huitt's avatar

Yes! I even wondered if maybe she released all of her hair the second I began brushing her. Haha!

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Rhonda Willers's avatar

Ahhh Holly, how we experience such similar springs. I was just thinking this morning that the brown of spring is the season of trust or promise, or maybe the season of belief. The trust that the brown (and oh goodness the mud season is so real) will depart and the green will fill in hiding the mud again. Shortly after this thought, I saw a lone female turkey in my front ravine, which is always a sign spring is really arriving as the ground is finally warm enough on the hill to lure the turkeys from the valley below, and I was back to hope and promise. Thank you for sharing your words and life today.

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Steve Hodges's avatar

So beautifully and accurately written! Your description of running the shedding comb through your horse's hair is so perfect. And the panorama of the scene. Thank you for writing.

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Irene McGuinness's avatar

I felt every word and went “Brrr!!” Remembering spring so well growing up in Ontario. This was a memory of spring that had forgotten.

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Amy Harbison's avatar

Holly, spring can be tricky, but I have to say I love it. The birdsong, the lilacs that remind me of my mother, the cherry blossoms (one of the only positives in DC right now). Do we have lots of blustery wind and rain in suburban Maryland? You bet. But there is a hopefulness and a cycle of birth that makes me feel life goes on despite the heartbreak of this time. It's good to hear another perspective. Mud is real! But I will take it any day over our humid and hot summers just around the corner. Be well!

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Holly Huitt's avatar

Our lilacs won't bloom for another 1.5 months, if you can imagine! But you're right--I would take our cold, blustery springs over a hot and humid summer. I grew up in South Carolina and Georgia--there's a reason I chose to live this far north. 😂

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Rosalie Duryee's avatar

This is so lovely! Where I'm from (PNW) it finally stops raining in spring.

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Juliet Robertson's avatar

All seasons are special. I recently learned that some indigenous groups in Japan have 72 recognisable seasons - one every 5 days. Now there's thought.

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The World According to Grace's avatar

Such lovely writing. We live in the Midwest and it's been a cold, wet spring this year, Today it warmed up and my dogs luxuriated in lying in the sun. I think they long for warmer, sunnier days just like we do.

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Lynn Peterfreund's avatar

Holly. i loved this piece. I read it sitting in the sunny cool new england breeze, a much milder version of your spring. our April snow melted and we might be on the verge of blossoms. thanks for your beautiful writing.

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Holly Huitt's avatar

So nice to hear from you Lynn. On the Verge of Blossoms made me smile. :)

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Mary Austin (she/her)'s avatar

Mmm…lovely to read this. Thank you.

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James Freeman's avatar

Well done, you made it through another Winter, mostly! We gave up on being anything but Summer people long ago, went from Chicago Winter to Arizona all year sun and heat. A bit too much heat, 117 degrees was just that. And so across this beautiful country to Summerville, SC we drove our moving van just behind a bit. After contemplating a further move south to Florida, we will stay in the Charleston area. This in spite of a cooler than normal Winter (climate change). The Atlantic ocean is less than an hour away, the people are lovely and weather agreeable and mud acceptable. This after rehoming our energetic labradoodle “Lulu” who was too much for we two eighty years old couple. She came in after a romp in the rain and mud a totally different color and totally changed to look of of out sunroom! Much of the year, the Charleston area is beautiful. Blessings to you and family for choosing and staying in the beautiful Northeast.

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Holly Huitt's avatar

Hi James! Did you know I'm a native South Carolinian? I don't blame you for making the Charleston area your home. It's beautiful there.

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