Spring has officially sprung, and with its arrival plants have begin to turn green.

That is especially true of the grass growing on lawns around the region. Tht means mowing season also has arrived, and I couldn’t be happier about it.

It may sound strange to be excited for the opportunity to perform manual labor, but I really can’t wait mow, trim and manicure my yard. Actually, my brother Larry mowed a portion of our grass on Friday, and I found the smell of the cuttings delightful. It feels as though it has been years, rather than a few months, since I have smelled that fresh scent.

Several neighbors and other people I know have already mowed their lawns this season, braving cooler than usual temperatures to perform that task. In fact, I could hardly believe that Larry waited as long as he did before making that initial cut.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast doesn’t bode well for the possibility that I will be able to do any yard work this weekend. Rain is expected Saturday with cloud cover on Sunday.

If the rain holds off, you can bet that I will be mowing and trimming and cleaning up the clippings on Saturday. And while clouds wouldn’t stop me from those chores on Sunday, we do have plans to mark the holiday with my husband Mike’s family.

My father-in-law Dexter Strough will be baking a ham, and I’m sure he and my mother-in-law Midge will have a delicious spread ready for us when we arrive.

Still, I am watching the weather and waiting for my opportunity. I may find myself compelled to work some time for yard work into my work week.

Once that inaugural trimming is complete, it might be time to move on to our garden. We have yet to decide to what extent we will go on that project this year. We lost our battle with the neighborhood groundhogs last year, and I have already seen one of them poking his nose in and out of the brush near the alley behind our home.

If we can figure out how to conquer them, we likely will till the entire plot, reinstall our fence and plant row upon row of vegetables. To be honest, I was bitten by the gardening bug a few days ago when my brother and his wife were away, providing me the chance to help keep his seed starts watered and growing nicely.

Mike and I both enjoy eating lots of veggies, and growing them at home makes them very affordable. It also means that we know exactly how they were raised and that they are, essentially, organic.

Those are just some of the things that I am looking forward to as warmer spring temperatures arrive.

This is, after all, a season of renewal.

Have a happy Easter!